As Google with its transparency program, Twitter is also offering a better transparency when removing twitters following a DMCA notification. Previously, the infringing tweet was removed without any explanation. For a month, Twitter has changed its policy. In case that Twitter decides it is legitimate to takedown a tweet, the following process is applied:
- The affected user is notified once the tweet is removed
- The affected user received the complaint as well as the procedure to file a counter-notice
- A copy is sent to Chilling Effects; Chilling effects is a project from EFF and many US universities (Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley…) that collects all the Cease & Desist (C&D) in the World
- The with held tweet is clearly marked
Since 2010, Twitter became a convenient vector for distributing pointers to shared infringing content. Soon, content owners emitted C&D.
Like Google, Twitter tries to find a tradeoff between the content owners and their users. Transparency is probably a good solution.