When Twitter puts “optional” options in front of you, don’t believe, because actually they are not; Twitter forces users to only one option

Some time after we opened our blog, WD and I got a Twitter account. Our Twitter account opening date is 2014. We were going to tweet to support the blog. Of course it was not like that, because we were very busy. We logged in from time to time to keep it open. We haven’t used it for many years. Until about 2 years ago. We started to use Twitter more often. Then the pandemic started and we spent more time on Twitter.

This time was stopped at Tue, 4 May, 2021, 2:08 pm.
Because our account has been locked by Twitter.

The reason was as follows in the notification was sent to the email account by Twitter.
“Your account has been locked for violating the Twitter Rules.
Specifically for:
Violating our rules against promoting or encouraging suicide or self-harm.”

The tweet that caused this result was also:
“Eliminate yourself for the sake of universe.”

When I look at the dictionary, “eliminate” has 6 meanings. Although they are close to each other, the meanings are used in different places. But for some reason the Twitter user who reported/complained me (most likely the person I wrote this tweet who reporting me), to Twitter on what I wrote in a totally sarcastic thought.

He/she was a liberal, judging everyone under the original tweet according to his/her own narrow patterns. In fact, same person was called a troll account, as far as I remember.

Until today, I was sweared by some people, especially in the last year on Twitter. Even once, because of I am an atheist, a twitter user even wrote me by swear words (via a picture of a church pastor with a kalashnikov) that he will destroy me. But I haven’t complained/reported anyone. Cursing belongs to the person who swears, it does not make me smaller. Already I can deal with such people and silence them without cursing.

With this complaint/report on Twitter, Twitter immediately emailed me and have locked my account to show how serious they were on this issue.

Already with Twitter logic, for example, if I hadn’t used “eliminate”, but used the Dalek meme in Dr. Who, it wouldn’t be a problem, but whatever. Now, let’s not stop millions of people using the Dalek meme on Twitter.;)

Our main subject is not my tweet anyway in this post, the main issue is what Twitter did afterwards.

Once I told the incident to Twitter according to myself, but they returned to me with a refusal. Because apparently, while dozens of attacks on personal rights happening, fake news and propagandas flying around, horrifying images were in front of everyone on Twitter, it was a huge thing that I did next to them! And possibly even the person I tweeted, after reading my tweet, suddenly stood up and threw himself/herself out of the window. Of course that can be.:) After all, I said “okay”, eventually Twitter would not say they made a mistake.

They sent me this against my request:

Our support team has determined that a violation did take place, and therefore we will not overturn our decision.

You will not be able to access Twitter through your account due to violations of the Twitter Rules, specifically our rules around:

“Violating our rules against promoting or encouraging suicide or self-harm”

In order to restore account functionality, you can resolve the violations by logging into your account and completing the on-screen instructions.

The last paragraph is important, because now the most exciting part begins!

“In order to restore account functionality, you can resolve the violations by logging into your account and completing the on-screen instructions.“

So what did I need to do? I needed to log in my account and follow the instructions to resolve the issue.

But, when I’ve opened the log in panel, I have met following scene:

Hmm? Have I ever added any phone number to my twitter account? NO.

Does Twitter always say “phone number” or “email address” are optional for users to choose one of them in many place of Twitter policy or terms on use or etc? YES.

Like in Twitter page with tittle:
“Notices on Twitter and what they mean“

Verifying account ownership: To ensure that violators do not abuse the anonymity we offer and harass others on the platform, we may require the account owner to verify ownership with a phone number or email address. This also helps us identify violators who are operating multiple accounts for abusive purposes and take action on such accounts. Note that when an account has been locked pending completion of a challenge (such as being required to provide a phone number), it is removed from follower counts, Retweets, and likes until a phone number is provided.

Can you look at the difference between the first sentence and the last sentence, especially the bold words? It actually seems to have similar meanings, but it’s not. Twitter creates space to expand its range of motion and restrict users’ range of motion.

Twitter may also ask/verify for a “phone number” on your account to ensure you do not repeat the same action later, even if you have never registered a phone number into your account. It is not certain, but there is such a possibility.

In other words, when there are so many malicious Twitter users, Twitter can use this gap because of a word “eliminate” for the users like me. So, on like the users, who never cursed or exhibited bad and harmful behaviour during 7 years, they see that they have right to apply this gap in their terms on us!

But on the other side this might be actually a security gap for them.

How come? Like that:

I use Twitter on my home computer. I do not have such Twitter application on the phone. For this reason, I have never saved a phone number in Twitter account. Because even at the beginning, when you create an account, you will see a screen like this:

What does “use phone instead” mean? Is there a meaning for Twitter?

For a user like me it means that I could use or not, this is my option. But it seems it does not like that for Twitter.

Anyway,

Let’s say this requested phone number (that number that has not been registered in the account until today by me) was given and the instructions were followed. How the second stage of this will be, that is, crosscheck?

So how will Twitter know that this phone number belong to me?

Twitter may say, “but we sent you an email.”

But what if my email address was hacked? Then it means that the hackers will be able to access my twitter account by giving any phone number?

What do you think Twitter???

As a result,

I will not log into the account by typing in any phone number.

Because I am not an account owner who will constantly repeat the same “violation” action that Twitter wants to determine, if Twitter choose to put me in that category.

I also find it unacceptable for Twitter to act with the idea of putting me in this category.

If Twitter wants to put me in another category and validate themselves in that way (while there is no other category that they can ask phone number and put me in, inside all their rules), I wish them success on this tricking path!

So the more mobility space that Twitter wants to create and forcing the user by creating an open back door in their terms of use does not work on me.

If Twitter asked me to save me the phone number from begining according to their terms, then I could think.

But if Twitter didn’t ask a phone number at all and tries to record it this way now, what is it if not forcing!

I get really sick of this planet where everyone is trying to put pressure on everyone more or less, secretly or openly, forcing something! Actually this is the focusing point of this post!

In addition, while Twitter forcing me to give a phone number in this way, those who have locked accounts due to similar reasons with me can access their account (the ones whose phone number is before registered, by entering this number for following instructions) when I cannot access my account, it shows that Twitter takes the same rights from some of the users, depending on different practices in same rules.

Twitter today may think that implicitly asking for it in this way does not create a security vulnerability, since mine is an account with low followers. But when one day they try to open a similar backdoor, if this way of Twitter runs into a few big accounts, then I think they will understand what these are costing.

By the way, three requests with the same content I sent to Twitter were not replied in last 5 days. Simply I asked Twitter to direct me to a panel on screen which allows me to contuniue via email address, not telephone number.

So if you’ve heard that Twitter helps you a lot for your problems, that part is a huge gas cloud. It could even be a nebula.

They were confident and speed replied me about why my account was locked on the same day, (in about 5 hours if I am not mistaken), while they did not respond to such an important issue for 5 days.

Under all these circumstances, my account will most likely be closed totally, because Twitter has made this happen to a user, and has not come up with a solution. Because I will never enter a phone number. This is my decision. Because Twitter shouldn’t have tried to get a phone number from me this way via backdoors.

I note my decision as one of those times when I took a firm stand against something inaccurate, for my own history. Twitter, you too note this to your “glorious success(!)” history too!