Twitter’s Jack Dorsey: ‘I don’t know enough’ about Myanmar

Twitter chief Jack Dorsey came under fire earlier this week when he posted a series of tone deaf tweets celebrating his recent birthday retreat in Myanmar, a country ravaged by political violence and whose government is accused of widespread genocide and ethnic cleansing. Now, he's responded to criticism of his tweets -- where he encouraged people to visit Myanmar to experience the people who were "full of joy" -- claiming that he didn't mean to undermine the "human rights atrocities and suffering" in the country.

Dorsey claims that he visited the country with the "singular objective of working on myself," and while he says he is "aware of the human rights atrocities and suffering in Myanmar," he says he doesn't "view visiting, practicing, or talking with the people, as endorsement." Then in a not-apology apology, he adds, "[I] could have acknowledged that I don't know enough and need to learn more." He's also careful to point out that Twitter was "actively" working in Myanmar to ensure it was not used as a platform for "violent extremism and hateful conduct."

The political situation in Myanmar has proven challenging for social media companies all around. Facebook has been accused of helping to spread hate speech within the country, and independent reports have confirmed that while the social network wasn't the root cause of rising tensions, it played a role in amplifying calls to violence. Given the headlines surrounding Facebook's cluelessness, many would be surprised that Dorsey could make such an insensitive blunder. However, given Twitter's inconsistent attitude towards hate speech, some would say it's quite an apt reflection of the company.