Why Twitter Has Turned Its Privacy Policy Into an Online Game

Twitter's New Policy Aims for Simplicity

Twitter's new policy, which aims for simplicity, could impact how users share content.

On Wednesday, Twitter announced that it was updating its rules of conduct, making them more concise and easier to understand.



"We want our guidelines to be understandable and scalable," the company said in a blog post. "This means that we need clear policies and can be applied evenly across all types of content."

Twitter announced that it would no longer allow tweets glorifying violence, provoking fear, or threatening any group of people. It also said it would apply its existing rules on hateful conduct more consistently, focusing on behavior that could cause direct harm to others.

"We want people to feel safe freely expressing themselves on Twitter," the company said in a blog post. "We believe in freedom of speaking truth to power, but that means little as a primary philosophy if voices are silenced because people are afraid to speak up."

The new policy has been in the works for some time, but it comes when Twitter is under pressure from lawmakers and advertisers over hate speech and misinformation on its platform.

The revised rules cover everything from illegal activity to sharing copyrighted material without permission or credit.

The new Twitter privacy policy, effective June 10, 2022, describes how the company can use users' data:

"We wish we could fit everything you want to know into a Tweet; our regulators ask us to meet legal obligations by explaining them in detail. In light of that, We have written our privacy policy as simple as possible to allow you to make knowledgeable decisions when using Twitter."

After that, the page presents six things that the company wants you to know about its privacy policy. Each point is in a single phrase, but there is also a link to view each point's full version in its privacy policy section.

However, the most surprising development of Twitter's new policy is that it has also created an online game to promote it.

Why Did Twitter Develop a Privacy Policy Game?

Last month, Twitter released a fun little game to help people read their privacy policy. It's called Privacy Policy Simulator, and it is what it sounds like: a game where you read through the legalese of your favorite apps and websites.



The idea is to make privacy policies more accessible for the average user. It's not the first time Twitter has tried something like this — they also launched a similar tool in 2016 — but it shows that they're committed to improving user experience.

The Twitter Data Dash game is a multiple-level 8-bit platform that allows players to win prizes by collecting information and sharing it.

Twitter says the game is to help users understand more complex parts of its policy and help them take control of their Twitter experience.

As a privacy policy game, it is flawed. While the game has hits and misses, it's worth playing for the chance to experience navigating the dangers of PrivaCity. Each level presents a new environment to navigate through.

The game is not too hard, but the enemies slow you down. You also don't have a health bar or a limited number of lives. Instead, you must collect items throughout each level to progress to the next level.

But we found that it doesn't help you learn and understand the privacy policy in detail. The enemies center around the core ideas, but you get only a tip on using Twitter at the end of each level.

The wording of these tips is more helpful than the simplified privacy policy's presentation.

However, if you have not read the privacy policy yet, playing through it as a game will not solve that problem.

Has the Policy Changed?

Despite the claims made by the administration, there seem to be few noticeable changes in the policy. But the policy was not effective until June, which seems strange considering that the policy did not change in any meaningful way.

The only thing noteworthy about Twitter's privacy policy? It explicitly states that how Twitter handles private data may be subject to change in the event of an ownership transfer.

A disclaimer by Twitter in anticipation of Elon Musk buying the company, which has been negotiated but not yet confirmed.

Have You Read the Policy or Played it?

The privacy policy may not be fun, but it is important. The game may not be important, but it's fun. If you're concerned about your privacy on Twitter, or if you already have a handle on their privacy policy, this plan won't interest you.



If you feel passionate about the privacy policy of Twitter but have always found it confusing, this initiative is for you.