Polite warnings may reduce hate speech on Twitter: New York University study finds

Researchers have found a new way to curb hate speech on the microblogging platform Twitter. A new study by New York University’s Center for Social Media and Politics has found that polite warning to users indulging in hate speech can help reduce overall hate speech on Twitter for almost a week.

“Debates over the effectiveness of social media account suspensions and bans on abusive users abound, but we know little about the impact of either warning a user of suspending an account or of outright suspensions in order to reduce hate speech,” explains Mustafa Mikdat Yildirim, an NYU doctoral candidate and the lead author of the paper, which appears in the journal Perspectives on Politics.