Twitter accused of failing to protect Tusla staff from online campaigns as CEO among targets 

Personal details and the address of Bernard Gloster CEO, Tusla, were shared online.

Tusla has accused Twitter of not doing enough to protect its staff from targeted campaigns on the platform including against the organisation's chief executive.

It condemned what it said is a "disappointing" and "worrying" response and argued that, in effect, the social media company "accepts and stands over" harassment.

It is understood that personal details and the address of Bernard Gloster were shared online with a view to attendance at his house as part of the 'bring it to their door' hashtag. 

That has seen people's home details circulated and in some cases targeted. 

He first raised the issue a year ago before an Oireachtas committee.

Among the harassment staff have faced across social media are:

• Online death threats to two staff;
• A person convicted of assaulting a staff member sentenced but, while on appeal, posting defamatory comments about the staff member online;
• Photos of staff members' children posted online with offensive comments underneath;
• Staff members' house photographed and posted online;
• The date, time, location, and name of a hotel in Ireland where a staff member was holidaying with their spouse and children posted online, along with comments suggesting that a group would attend at hotel to protest;

The situation has now escalated with Tusla outlining its unhappiness with efforts by Twitter to address the problem.

Tusla said: "The agency has recently engaged with social media providers regarding defamatory tweets and online movements (via hashtags), particularly a concerning trend recently of threats to come to the private homes of public officials.

"The disappointing responses provided by Twitter to repeated concerns regarding the hashtag #BringItToTheirDoors is worrying. The need to ensure the safety of people and their families in their private homes and the need for accountability for this type of threatening behaviour is clearly evident."

Tusla said harassment of staff, particularly via online platforms, is an ongoing concern that has been expressed several times before to social media companies.

Mr Gloster said: “I have no difficulty with lawful protest in public places, [with] complaint, or people expressing their opinion on social media platforms. 

"However, based on the responses received recently by Twitter to our legitimate concerns raised, it can only be interpreted that the platform accepts and stands over what we consider to be targeted harassment in the form of the hashtag #BringItToTheirDoors and the resultant carrying out of these threats."

Tusla said social media platforms have a responsibility to remove or halt posts and movements of this nature where clearly the target is no longer the workplace or role of an individual but their private home and family.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner in September, Mr Gloster said Tusla had been engaging with social media forms although he admitted that when it came to a swift response to such posts, more could be done.

"We do contact social media providers, we do raise concerns with them and I think on balance we would say they are responsive," he said at the time. 

"For the individual involved, is it ever responsive enough or quick enough? Probably not, because it is a pretty horrid thing."

A spokesman for Twitter said: "Twitter’s top priority is protecting the health of the conversation and keeping people safe. We have clear rules in place to address threats of violence, abuse and harassment, hateful conduct and the sharing of private information. We take action when we identify any Tweets or accounts that violate the Twitter Rules."