Remember the I Heart JKR Poster (Edinburgh) that got loads of complaints...

[SaltandVinegarSquares]

According to Network Rail they "received complaints" (plural) about the poster, and one complaint specifically stated "rampant transphobia".

Only it turns out, they didn't.

Not a single fucking one.

Liars.

158 complaints about it's removal though.

I hope JK gets to know of this.

@ArabellaScott

Yes, as far as I can see they've treated Twitter messages as official complaints, for better or worse.

This seems to be a recurrent theme. Why is Twitter deferred to as if it's the definitive voice of public opinion? When after every single vote on both sides of the Atlantic its denizens are in a perpetual state of shock and awe because Twitter told them their candidate was going to get a landslide victory?

@ChattyLion

Hopefully a journalist clocks this and asks them questions. Does this mean the poster can go back up then?

Yes, I'm rather hoping that a journalist picks this up.

So they based their decision to take it down based on Twitter not formal complaints?

This is the crux of it. Network Rail (and many others) have already decided which is "the right side of history". They will then listen to the voices on twitter which line up with that view and act accordingly. Those that are counter to that view will be ignored.

Do they understand how many accounts on Twitter are bots generated to amplify certain issues and push an agenda?

OP I'm genuinely not trying to be arsey but I can't find anything when I google Network Rail + the quoted text in your OP "received complaints" and "rampant transphobia" - did they state this on Twitter?

The article linked in the letter in the picture quotes NR as saying " "This advert is no longer being displayed at Edinburgh Waverley.

"The poster in question is against our code of acceptance for advertising in our stations owing to its political nature.

"We do not allow advertising that is likely to support or promote one viewpoint over another." "

So nothing about complaints there.

@WhoWants2Know

Do they understand how many accounts on Twitter are bots generated to amplify certain issues and push an agenda?

They don't need to. They've already been Stonewall trained, they have already decided. Twitter gives them the evidence they want to back up their decision making, there will be zero interest in whether that evidence is legitimate.

Thanks for posting this. It really does seem very strange. If it was the action of one individual why has the company stood by that? The poster was paid for etc..

Also, I cant get your image to display. Is it posted anywhere else eg on twitter or facebook? Or copy as a pdf? ( a bit cheeky to ask I know)

Not sure why but often seem to have problems with images inserted on FWR posts.

That article does say that the poster "received complaints" though - but it's not a NR quote.

So they based their decision to take it down based on Twitter not formal complaints?

That's exactly it.

Not one single formal complaint was made, nobody bothered their arse to use the actual complaints process.

But Network Rail have decided that certain voices on Twitter are the be all and end all of public opinion - unsurprising, as they are Stonewall Diversity Champions.

But Network Rail have decided that certain voices on Twitter are the be all and end all of public opinion - unsurprising, as they are Stonewall Diversity Champions

Yep. Accusations of 'transphobia' are enough. Twitter 'activists' know this. It's about controlling and dictating what is deemed acceptable. This is what it is about. Control.

It's all about Wrongthink and Rightthink don't ya know.

Tbh, I'm shocked that they've admitted to this. They look like prize arses.

Looking forward to seeing their big public apology for lying about this...?

Sounds like a lot of people DID complain though.
Not over official channel, but via Twitter. Still complaints.

Why do they count for more than those that liked it on Twitter though? And those that complained about its removal?

then why not say that in the reply?

"we received x number of complaints about it over twitter"

So where does the buck stop? Who made the call and who let them?

As I recall, the main proponent of transphobia accusations was Lewis Baird. Network Rail took all the twittertwattering at face value without stopping to think how it made them look.

twitter.com/NetworkRailSCOT/status/1288571565630783488?s=20

@Quaagars

Looking forward to seeing their big public apology for lying about this...?

Sounds like a lot of people DID complain though.
Not over official channel, but via Twitter. Still complaints.

Twitter complaints could have come from outside UK and from people who have never even heard of Network Rail, much less use it.

It is foolish to make decisions based on Twitter!

Twitter complaints could have come from outside UK and from people who have never even heard of Network Rail, much less use it.

Besides which there were more supportive tweets than complaints!

Op, as i said, your highlighted text was written by Edinburgh Live not by Network Rail (your OP claims "according to Network Rail").

I don't think the fundamentally changes the point of what's happened, ie "complaint" via Twitter shitstorm, but I do think it's important to correctly attribute quotes particularly when accusing orgs of explicitly lying.

Thank you, @SaltandVinegarSquares! I've just cross-posted this to www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3949155-Social-media-resilience-training-for-businesses-institutions , because this sort of thing is happening over and over again, and if companies refuse to learn best practice, we grown-up citizens will. Thank you for your FOI efforts!

so if their policy of no political ads lead to this poster being taken down, surely they will not have posters up for Stnewall, Mermids and so on?

@bimblingonagain

so if their policy of no political ads lead to this poster being taken down, surely they will not have posters up for Stnewall, Mermids and so on?

Good question.

So if they don't have political ads why have they got a bloody big f*ck off train with stonewall stuff all over it