You can now report Twitter users for targeted deadnaming and misgendering.

Twitter updated its Terms of Service last night (23 November) to protect trans people from online abuse.

The new protection comes under the heading: ‘Repeated and/or non-consensual slurs, epithets, racist and sexist tropes or other content that degrades someone.’

It continues: ‘We prohibit targeting individuals with repeated slurs, tropes or other content that intends to dehumanize, degrade or reinforce negative or harmful steroetypes about a protected category.

‘This includes targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals,’ it said.

Targeted misgendering is the process of deliberately using the wrong pronouns when addressing someone. While targeted deadnaming is deliberately using the birth name of someone who has legally changed their name to affirm their identity.

Twitter users can report these slurs by using the ‘It’s abusive or harmful’ option, then ‘Includes targeted harassment’ or ‘It directs hate against a protected category’.

Transgender advocates took to Twitter to commend Twitter for protecting trans people against online abuse.

One Twitter user wrote: ‘GOOD. It’s about time.’

Another tweeted: ‘A nice thing for Friday.’

Another wrote: ‘If we are going to have rules against harassment, these updated rules makes sense.’