Twitter on alert for calls to violence on US Capitol attack anniversary

The tech giant has created a new team to monitor its platform for harmful content associated with the January 6 event

Social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook were accused of enabling extremists to organise the siege by Trump supporters a year ago

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Trump supporters participate in a rally in Washington on January 6, 2021. Photo: AP

Published: 1:28am, 6 Jan 2022Updated: 2:43am, 6 Jan 2022

Ahead of the one-year anniversary of the storming of the US Capitol, Twitter has created a new team to review the social networking site for harmful content associated with the event, the company said on Tuesday.

Social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook were accused of enabling extremists to organise the siege on January 6, 2021, when supporters of Republican then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol to block Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential election victory.

Twitter said employees from teams across the company, including site integrity and trust and safety, will watch for risks related to the anniversary, such as tweets and accounts that incite violence.

The company did not say how many people were on the monitoring team.

Members of Congress shelter in the House gallery as Trump supporters try to break into the House Chamber at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Photo: AP

The company added it will continue to monitor trending topics and search results on the platform for harmful content.

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