X revives policy targeting deadnaming, misgendering 

X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, updated its abuse and harassment rules to revive regulations around content that misgenders or deadnames individuals.  

The quiet update comes less than a year after the platform, under Musk’s ownership, revoked its ban on content that uses a transgender person’s name before they transitioned — known as a deadname — or purposefully used the wrong gender for someone. 

The update to X’s abuse and harassment rules was first reported by Ars Technica.

The updated rules state X “will reduce the visibility of posts that purposefully use different pronouns to address someone other than what that person uses for themselves, or that use a previous name that someone no longer goes by as part of their transition.”  

The rule adds that “given the complexity of determining whether such a violation has occurred,” the platform “must always hear from the target to determine if a violation has occurred.” 

Jenni Olson, GLAAD’s senior director of social media safety, told Ars Technica the update is a positive move but is still a step back from stronger ban Twitter previously had in place. She said the self-reporting requirement places a significant burden on the victim.  

GLAAD had pushed back strongly on the platform’s decision to remove its initial policy against deadnaming and misgendering.  

It is one of many changes to content moderation made at X under Musk’s leadership that civil rights groups and other tech advocacy groups have criticized.  

The billionaire bought Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022.