Detained in Dubai Twitter account suspended for rule violations

Group's and founder's accounts frozen for breaking site's rules

Twitter suspended accounts related to the Detained in Dubai group for breaching its rules. Bloomberg

Social media accounts operated by a UK-based group agitating about purported detention issues in the UAE have been suspended.

Twitter profiles linked to businesswoman Radha Stirling, who represents Detained in Dubai, were removed on Saturday for breaking the site’s rules.

Although no specific cause for the suspension was given, accounts can be deleted for a variety of reasons.

Twitter suspends accounts on the grounds of safety, privacy and authenticity.

For example, in its rules the company says "you may not deceptively share synthetic or manipulated media that are likely to cause harm".

"You may not use Twitter’s services in a manner intended to artificially amplify or suppress information or engage in behaviour that manipulates or disrupts people’s experience on Twitter."

Some accounts can be suspended because they are fake or have been compromised or hacked.

Twitter will also suspend activity on its platform if it has received complaints of abusive behaviour or threats by the account holder.

Ms Sterling claims to have acted on behalf of a British citizen recently arrested on drugs charges in the UAE.

But information disseminated to media about the case has reportedly been disputed by the accused woman’s legal team.

A British woman jailed in Dubai in December last year over a series of bounced cheques was another who Ms Stirling campaigned for.

After her release in January, the woman went on to con scores of other residents in a scam involving foreign-currency exchanges and bogus business investments.

In May, Ms Stirling became embroiled in a public row on social media with former business partner David Haigh after it emerged the convicted fraudster would be pursued in the UK for £4 million (Dh18.4m) in “misappropriated” funds following a Dubai Courts ruling in a failed business deal.