Folks holding cell phones are silhouetted in opposition to a backdrop projected with the Twitter emblem on this illustration image taken September 27, 2013. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration

Aug 23 (Reuters) – Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) is combining groups that work on decreasing poisonous content material and spam bots, in accordance with a workers memo on Tuesday seen by Reuters, amid accusations from a former government that the corporate didn’t do both job properly.

The social media firm will mix its well being expertise team, which works on decreasing misinformation and dangerous content material, with the Twitter service team, which is answerable for reviewing profiles that customers report and taking down spam accounts. The brand new group will probably be referred to as “Well being Merchandise and Companies (HPS),” in accordance with the e-mail to workers.

Ella Irwin, vp of product for well being and Twitter service, who joined the corporate in June, will lead the HPS team.

“We want groups to give attention to particular issues, working collectively as one team and now not working in silos,” Irwin wrote within the e mail to workers, including the team will “ruthlessly prioritize” its tasks.

The creation of the HPS team takes on larger significance as a result of the corporate is challenged on a number of fronts. A former safety chief and well-regarded hacker, Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, has accused the corporate of deceptive federal regulators about its defenses in opposition to hackers and spam accounts. learn extra

Twitter is battling Tesla Inc’s (TSLA.O) chief government, Elon Musk, in courtroom because the world’s richest man makes an attempt to stroll away from a $44 billion deal to purchase the corporate, accusing it of withholding data on the way it calculates spam accounts.

Twitter stated on Tuesday that Zatko’s allegations had been geared toward capturing consideration and inflicting hurt on the corporate, and it has stated it stands by its disclosures on spam and bot accounts.

Twitter can also be making ready to fortify its defenses in opposition to the unfold of misinformation forward of the November U.S. midterm elections. learn extra

The reorganization of the poisonous content material and spam groups “displays our continued dedication to prioritize, and focus our groups in pursuit of our targets,” a Twitter spokesperson stated.

The transfer additionally comes as high-ranking executives together with Kayvon Beykpour and Bruce Falck, who oversaw shopper merchandise and income, have departed the corporate in latest months amid the chaos with Musk.

Groups answerable for decreasing dangerous or poisonous content material have been hit laborious by workers departures lately, in accordance with two workers who spoke on the situation of anonymity.

At the very least one present worker stated the reorganization didn’t seem to have a major influence on their work.

A former worker who labored on safety at Twitter stated he was not optimistic the reshuffling would result in enhancements, as a result of the roots of the corporate’s issues with spam accounts have traditionally run deeper than one team can handle by itself. He declined to be named for concern of prejudicing future employment alternatives.

Reporting by Sheila Dang in Dallas; further reporting by Katie Paul
Enhancing by Kenneth Li, Matthew Lewis and Jamie Freed

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