Twitter 'blocking' police inquiry into racist messages, claims councillor
A Glasgow City councillor has reportedly accused Twitter of blocking a police inquiry into alleged racist tweets sent to his account.
Feargal Dalton, who represents Partick West, told the Glasgow Herald: "I received racial abuse on social media and brought it to the attention of my bosses in the city council. They contacted the police who took a statement from me. The police subsequently contacted me to say they could not proceed with the case because Twitter will not disclose who owns the social media account in question."
The councillor, who spent 20 years in the Royal Navy, received a series of tweets, from an account that can’t be identified for legal reasons, stating that he was “singing your IRA tunes and celebrating the deaths of British soldiers” and a picture of an anti-independence T-shirt accompanied by “Get you one of these paddy so you won't make the place look a mess.”
The tweeter also named two Glasgow pubs where it claimed Dalton could be found.
Twitter responded to The Drum that it could not comment on individual cases and that its policy was only to release “non-public information” about users only in response to “appropriate legal processes” or in a “valid emergency”.
Police Scotland told The Drum that it could confirm a complaint had been made and inquiries were still continuing.
A spokeswoman for Glasgow City council sent the following statement: "We take any forms of abuse of our staff or members very seriously" and said that "anyone who can help the Police with their investigation should do so".