I've been on Twitter for a bit over a year. There and elsewhere online, I've often been critical of High Tech companies, Mega Biz in general, neoliberalism, and corporatism. A few times in the past, Twitter has stopped me from accessing my account because they suspect its "automated". That may be because I'm a senior citizen and don't have regular sleep hours. Plus, I'm a night owl, not an early bird. In any 24-hour period, I get maybe 4 - 6 hours of sleep.
Yesterday they blocked/throttled me again, saying the account "appears to be automated". [This time, I can't find a way to get around it.] I've tried to contact them, but as you know, High Tech companies don't want you to contact them. That would require them to hire support staff. After unsuccessfully trying different things to reach them, I sent the following email to this address: tweet@twittermail.com...found it online, don't know what it is ---
"Twitter thinks I'm a robot...even after ID-ing "taxis" in a series of photos. They won't let me into my acct. They want a mobile phone number so a code can be sent. I guess the robot algorithms of Twitter were not programmed to be capable of dealing with this: some people, like me, don't have a cell phone; and don't want one. Let me into my acct...am not a robot. Obviously, your algorithms are the robots." 😀
High Tech companies utilize algorithms which often are not capable of handling the myriad of situations arising in online scenarios such as the one above. That's why they need live people as support staff. But the Head Honchos of some of these companies appear to not care much at all about their users, only about their advertising clients.
One analytic website (I didn't note the name) says Twitter has done this - blocked access because of "suspected automation" - to thousands of T. accounts. We're not suspended for violations, but blocked temporarily because of Twit suspicions. "Try again later", they say. For those with cell phones it's a brief glitch; although, I don't know that for certain. Trying again later has not worked for me this time.
What's really ignorant on Twit's part is: to prove you're not automated (a "robot"), you're given a series of photos from which you have to ID the ones with a bus, a train, or a taxi, etc. Even if you pass that test, sometimes the algorithms still prevent you from accessing your account... because of suspected automation. That makes no sense whatsoever. [I hope Twitter isn't one of the companies claiming to have Artificial Intelligence:]
All the above generates the title of this essay. I'm NOT suggesting that Twitter is, for a fact, discriminating. I'm saying this: I SUSPECT they might be. Their blocking of people who moments ago passed the "I'm not a robot" test is highly suspicious activity on their part. [Sometimes you're required to pass that test three times in a row, & then you still get blocked. That's either really faulty algorithms or massively bad policy, or maybe, attempts to rid the site of some people & their ideas. People who have not violated any of Twit's policies.] That's just a hunch, not a fact. Given the scenario above, it's a plausible guess, or at least, a remote possibility.
If anyone knows how to contact whatever paltry support Twitter has, please let me know. Keep in mind, though, I can't get on their site at all, so the method of contact must be email or a toll free telephone number (I do have a land line). Also, please let me know if any of you have had similar problems.
Thanks. Be Well
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