Action urged on abusive Tweets

Twitter is facing calls to take faster and stronger action against online abuse after a feminist campaigner was subjected to a sustained barrage of threats.

Caroline Criado Perez faced a deluge of hostile tweets over the course of more than a day, including threats to rape and kill her, after she successfully campaigned for a woman’s picture to be put on a new bank note.

A campaign in her support, calling on Twitter to introduce a button to allow speedy reporting of abuse, has already received more than 12,500 signatures and she has received support from British MPs. There are also attempts being made to organise a boycott of the free social media platform on August 4.