Twitter removes Vine ads that could trigger epileptic attacks

Twitter finally pulled two controversial advertisements after users complained they were triggering epilepsy episodes.

The videos were designed to advertise Twitter‘s #DiscoverMusic campaign, aimed at attracting musicians to the social network, pitching it as a good way for artists to publicise their latest tracks.

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.

“Twitter’s ads were risky to people living with photo-sensitive epilepsy”, said Epilepsy Action’s deputy chief executive, Simon Wigglesworth.

Twitter was relatively fast to respond, removing the ads on Friday morning, but not before they had already been online for 18 hours. Epilepsy is a medical condition that induces seizures when nerve cell activity in the patient is disrupted by unusual lighting patterns such as flashing lights.

Rachel Bremer, global director of communications at Twitter, acknowledged the issue in a tweet to the charity Epilepsy Action.

The videos were posted to Vine and it wasn’t long before Twitter users began realising the potential risk.

“We take very seriously ads in online media that might cause harm to people with photosensitive epilepsy”, an ASA spokeswoman told the BBC.

“Eighty seven people are diagnosed with epilepsy every day and that first seizure can often come out of nowhere…”