Epilepsy Charity’s Complaint makes Twitter pull down its advertisements

After receiving complaints for an epilepsy group, Twitter has withdrawn two online advertisements on Friday. Epilepsy Action has said that Twitter’s ads were harmful for people living with photosensitive epilepsy.

Twitter has posted six-second ads through via. These ads were promoting Twitter’s #DiscoverMusic Campaign, a way to encourage new artists on the app. As per BBC News, the ads featured a ‘looping, rapid succession of flashing colors’.

Epilepsy Action's deputy chief executive Simon Wigglesworth has called the marketing dangerous. After seeing the ad, they tweeted and termed the ads to be ‘massively dangerous to people with photosensitive epilepsy’.

Twitter said to BBC News that it has removed the ads on Friday morning. According to Time, the ads ran for 18 hours before they were removed.

Advertising Standards Authority has also raised concerns on the matter. It stated, “Marketing communications should not include visual effects or techniques that are likely to adversely affect members of the public with photosensitive epilepsy”.

Wigglesworth said 87 people get diagnosed with epilepsy every day and the seizure can be triggered from anywhere. On global level, 65 million people are diagnosed with epilepsy and Twitter being used by massive number of people makes ads to be a dangerous trigger.

The charity said flashing bright lights are considered to be a commonly reported trigger. It has termed the act by a corporation like Twitter to be irresponsible.