Politicians can now post and quickly delete tweets they regret without creating a public record after Twitter effectively shut down Politwoops, a website that saves and posts deleted tweets from politicians.
Now, politicos will only have to fear the speedy screen-shotters of the web.
Twitter cut off Politwoops’ access, preventing the website from automatically curating deleted tweets, according to Christopher Gates, president of the Sunlight Foundation, a pro-government transparency group.
Politwoops is a Sunlight Foundation project started in 2012.
“What our elected officials say is a matter of public record, and Twitter is an increasingly important part of how our elected officials communicate with the public. This kind of dialogue between we the people and those who represent us is an important part of any democratic system,” Gates wrote Thursday on the organization’s website.
“And even in the case of deleted tweets, it’s also a public part — these tweets are live and viewable by anyone on Twitter.com and other platforms for at least some amount of time,” he said.
The social media site began blocking Politwoops from accessing deleted tweets last month and claimed the curation of deleted tweets was a breach of its terms of service, violating users’ privacy.
It appears, though, that Twitter has only cut off access to the American version of Politwoops, while its British counterpart continues to curate deleted tweets in the U.K.
Twitter said Thursday in a statement that it would not restore Politwoops’ access.
“We strongly support Sunlight’s mission of increasing transparency in politics and using civic tech and open data to hold government accountable to constituents, but preserving deleted tweets violates our developer agreement,” said a spokesperson for the company. “Honoring the expectation of user privacy for all accounts is a priority for us, whether the user is anonymous or a member of Congress.”
Twitter did not respond to questions about whether the decision was a result of pressure from elected officials or other politicians, or why it suddenly changed its policy toward Politwoops.
Twitter has become much more involved on Capitol Hill, expanding its congressional lobbying expenses to $310,000 in 2014 from $90,000 the year before, according to Open Secrets, a group that tracks money in politics. The most recent lobbying efforts have focused on online privacy, government surveillance and patent legislation.
The site has helped reveal a range of deleted tweets during its time online — from funny to flip-flopping.
Politwoops, in particular, helped news outlets cover the political fallout from the exchange of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five Taliban prisoners.
Multiple congressmen and senators tweeted words of welcome when they learned of Bergdahl’s release from Taliban hands, but soon deleted those tweets as the backlash against President Barack Obama’s decision to make the trade grew.
Reports later alleged Bergdahl deserted his unit in Afghanistan before being captured, making politicians less interested in touting his rescue.
“Welcome home, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. A grateful America thanks you for your service,” Republican Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi had tweeted.
“So glad to hear that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is coming home safely. He’s a true American hero,” tweeted Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Ohio.
On the lighter side, freshman Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Utah, tweeted out a post from Facebook, making it appear as if he said that one of his “favorite” tasks was “calling young men.”
Gardner deleted the tweet after two minutes, but Politwoops immortalized the moment.
In January, freshman Republican Rep. Mike Bishop of Michigan tweeted — and quickly deleted — photos from the House floor, a violation of House rules that prohibit photography. Politwoops captured that moment, too.
It even caught a congressman, Arkansas Republican Rep. Tim Griffin, who moments after sharing a report bout gunfire outside Capitol Hill then tweeted: “Stop the violent rhetoric President Obama, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. #Disgusting.”
