Bottom Line: The folks at Twitter have been busy working on a number of changes that may affect you. Included are new features to inform you about your Twitter connectees, to better personalize content for you and to widen your language options. They have also made helpful changes to their Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. If you're an advertiser of alcohol (or any other product or service that may require an age restriction), Twitter is also working on a screening tool for minors you'll want to know about.

NEW FEATURES

In May 2012, Twitter emailed its members in an effort to keep everyone informed about some recent developments, including:

  • a weekly email to members, keeping them 'in the loop' with what's going on with people to whom they're connected;
  • the recent introduction of more language options, including Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Polish and Swedish; and
  • a "discover tab", intended to make the lives of Twitter users more meaningful. The tab uses personalization tools to connect users to content that matters to them and their followers, thereby eliminating the need to follow additional accounts. Users can simply reply, retweet, favourite a Tweet or Tweet a story to share their own perspective. That all makes it easier to join the conversation – largely what Twitter is all about.

However, it's not all fun and games. The discussion below outlines a few more relevant changes to Twitter's Privacy Policy, Terms of Use and age screening practices:

PRIVACY POLICY CHANGES

Twitter has provided more details about the information it collects from users and how it uses that information. For example, it explains how it tailors suggestions to users based on their recent website visits, which many find very helpful. For those who don't want to be tracked in that way, it explains how they can set the "do not track" privacy preferences in their web browsers to limit, modify or remove the information that Twitter collects. Further, it outlines the limited circumstances in which Twitter may share or disclose a user's information; for example, when the user authorizes a third party application to access his/her Twitter account, or when the information is not private or personal (i.e., public user profile information). For all the details, visit Twitter's updated Privacy Policy at twitter.com/privacy.

TERMS OF USE CHANGES

Twitter has also clarified the terms of the relationship between Twitter and its users in its Terms of Use. It has made clear that if a user accepts the terms on behalf of a company or other legal entity, the user represents that he/she is authorized to do so. Further, Twitter has added a new section dealing with ending the term of the relationship, including not only when users can end their legal agreement with Twitter, but also when Twitter can suspend or terminate a user's account. Please click here for the updated Twitter Terms of Use: twitter.com/tos.

NEW AGE SCREENING TOOL ON ITS WAY

Twitter is working on the development of an age screening tool in partnership with Buddy Media, a social media management company. This will require "new" Twitter followers to enter their date of birth before being permitted to follow a "restricted" account – for example, an alcohol advertiser. This will help ensure that users meet the minimum age requirement pursuant to relevant industry or legal guidelines. Users will only be required to enter their date of birth once, and this information will be available to all accounts that want to participate in age screening. Visit here for more information: bit.ly/RGk4nv.

TAKE A MINUTE TO LOOK

We encourage you to take some time to review the links provided above to familiarize yourself with these developments and how they may impact your business and/or your promotions. Bottom line, the more informed you are, the better use you will be able to make of Twitter's social media benefits.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.