Twitter criticised by epilepsy charity for posting flashing ads

On Twitter, user Christopher Rowe said, “Please withdraw your photosensitive epilepsy inducing Discover Music twitter advert it’s horrendous”, to which Bruce Daisley, head of Twitter‘s European business, responded that autoplay videos can be turned off in the settings.

The looping ads featured flashing imagery which could have been harmful to people with certain types of epilepsy – in the same way that strobe effects at concerts and in movies can be problematic.

Epilepsy Action thanked Twitter for taking the ads down, and tweeted that it was “happy to work with them” in the future to guarantee that its adverts are safe for people living with the condition. Seizures can be triggered by flashing lights and bold patterns.

Twitter’s advertisements were up for 18 hours before they were finally removed early Friday morning.

An episode of Japanese cartoon Pokemon was famously blamed for triggering convulsions in 1997.

“Eighty seven people are diagnosed with epilepsy every day and that first seizure can often come out of nowhere”, Epilepsy Action’s deputy CEO Simon Wigglesworth told BBC.

The Advertising Standards Authority’s regulations forbid the use of imagery that could trigger a reaction in photosensitive epileptics.

The ads consisted of six seconds of flashing video, were “massively dangerous” to those with photosensitive epilepsy, according to charity Epilepsy Action.

“We appreciate your feedback”, she said on Twitter.