Twitter Inc. launched a major purge of hate accounts today as it began enforcing the expanded anti-abuse rules it announced last month.

The updated policies add rules that forbid users from using abusive usernames or profile bios, from sharing images of hate symbols, and from posting “content that glorifies violence or the perpetrators of a violent act.”

Perhaps the most significant addition to Twitter’s policy is a blanket ban on users who associate with hate groups that “use or promote violence against civilians to further their causes.” According to Twitter, this policy covers organizations “that identify as such or engage in activity — both on and off the platform — that promotes violence.”

Twitter has purged multiple accounts under the new rule, many of which belong to users associated with far-right groups. These include the primary account and two leaders of Britain First, an ultranationalist political organization that London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called “a vile, extremist group that exists solely to sow division and hatred in our country.”

Britain First became a lightning rod for Twitter’s critics last month after the group’s anti-Muslim videos were retweeted by President Trump, which sparked outrage in Britain. Stephen Doughty, a Labour party MP, criticized Twitter at the time, saying, “Will the Home Secretary confirm when she and the Government will take tough action, on which I support her in her efforts, on the social media companies? We have had no response from Twitter, a typically irresponsible attitude.”

A number of organizations urged Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey (pictured) to ban the group, including civil rights watchdog Muslim Advocates, which applauded today’s purge. “As social media sites have become the central organizing hub for America’s hate groups, companies like Twitter and Facebook have a responsibility to ensure that their platforms are not used to sow violence and hate,” Madihha Ahussain, special counsel for anti-Muslim bigotry for Muslim Advocates, said today in a statement.

However, not everyone is happy with the purge, and some Twitter users have accused the company of censoring conservative political opinions. A few users have tried to organize an exodus to Gab, an alt-right social network with fewer rules against abusive behavior.

Twitter admitted in a statement that its new policies may accidentally affect legitimate accounts: “In our efforts to be more aggressive here, we may make some mistakes and are working on a robust appeals process. We’ll evaluate and iterate on these changes in the coming days and weeks, and will keep you posted on progress along the way.”

Photo: JD Lasica/Flickr