The social networking platform Twitter has started warning users who have tried to like or retweet a labeled tweet that contains misinformation. The micro-blogging site adds a label to tweets that contain misleading information. The new feature will be rolling out to iOS and Android users in the coming weeks.
During 2020 US presidential election, Twitter announced that it planned to debut a number of policies aimed at curbing misinformation around the vote totals, pledging to tack on “additional warnings and restrictions on Tweets with a misleading information label from US political figures (including candidates and campaign accounts).”
The option for users to pause and think before hitting ‘like’ or ‘retweet’ is part of feature that Twitter has recently unveiled. When users try to hit retweet on a tweet containing a link to an article they haven’t read, for example, the site now prompts a message encouraging the user to, you know, read the article before blindly sharing it with their followers.
So when you try to like or retweet a message, you will get a pop-up message from Twitter claiming the post is “disputed”. It will not stop you but warn you. However, despite the message, if you want to go ahead and like or retweet the labeled tweet, you can do that.
Announcing the new feature, Twitter posted, “Giving context on why a labeled Tweet is misleading under our election, COVID-19, and synthetic and manipulated media rules is vital. These prompts helped decrease Quote Tweets of misleading information by 29% so we're expanding them to show when you tap to like a labeled Tweet.”
Twitter said that warning users before they like or retweet a conflicted post will slow down the reach of the labeled post. It will also reduce the likes on the post as well.
Giving context on why a labeled Tweet is misleading under our election, COVID-19, and synthetic and manipulated media rules is vital.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) November 23, 2020
These prompts helped decrease Quote Tweets of misleading information by 29% so we're expanding them to show when you tap to like a labeled Tweet. pic.twitter.com/WTK164nMfZ