Twitter Boots Critic of NBC For Tweeting Exec's Email Address 104
netbuzz writes "Guy Adams, a Los Angeles-based correspondent for The Independent of London, had his Twitter account suspended today, allegedly for having violated a Twitter privacy policy when he tweeted the workplace email address of an NBC Sports executive. The Internet is abuzz with accusations – no make that assumptions – that Twitter muzzled Adams because Adams was tweeting up a storm of protest over NBC's coverage of the Games. However, Twitter says it was because it prohibits the tweeting of 'non-public, personal email addresses.' Whether Adams did that or not appears debatable."
Update: 07/31 17:48 GMT by S : Adams's Twitter account has been reinstated.
Twitter had no choice (Score:4, Informative)
It was a lot simpler to just wipe out the user's account than merely remove the offending Tweet. Because by removing the Tweet, Twitter would themselves have been in violation of their own privacy policies by having tampered with the User's Account and would be enacting censorship -- which is bad. And after all, User Accounts and the data they contain are virtual and have no actual value. Frankly, I wonder why people still use crap like private email and other open messaging services when we have all these wonderful Monolithic Services like Twitter and Facebook to provide all our communication needs.
Re:the email add. was out there. (Score:5, Informative)
Worse still - they went to commercial during the tribute to the victims of the 7/7 London bombing. Can you imagine how much trouble they'd be in for doing the same to the 9/11 victims?
Re:the email add. was out there. (Score:5, Informative)
first.last@nbcuni.com
That's the template used by NBC for their CORPORATE emails. Replace "first.last" with the name of any exec and that's the amazingly private super-secret personal details the journalist had his account killed for.
The NBC executive was called Gary Zenkel.
This post would be a violation of Twitters TOS!
Re:the email add. was out there. (Score:5, Informative)
welcome to the Streisand effect!
I bet their exchange server is choking as we speak. There's little doubt it's exchange, either...
Re:Twitter had no choice (Score:4, Informative)
Yeah it did have a choice. Since this is NOT a "'non-public email address" but in fact posted on a public NBC website, twitter's rule was violated. The stupid corporate behemoth can't even follow its own rule. It has all the brains of a tree, or rock, or building (i.e. none).
Re:the email add. was out there. (Score:4, Informative)
It's an auction. What sort or retard would turn down a $5 billion bid and instead give it to the guy bidding $50 million?
And the $5 billion was for 4 Olympic games. NBC paid $2 billion total for two: the 2010 winter and the 2012 summer games.