Twitter now labels misleading COVID-19 information
Last month, Twitter added to its blog new goals of broadening its guidance on unverified claims. Now the social network is adding new weapons to battle misleading and disputed information – labels. “Earlier this year, we introduced a new label for Tweets containing synthetic and manipulated media. Similar labels will now appear on Tweets containing potentially harmful, misleading information related to COVID-19. This will also apply to Tweets sent before today,” announced Yoel Roth, Head of Site Integrity, and Nick Pickle, Public Policy Manager in a blog post. “Get the facts about COVID-19” label will appear under dubious tweets, linking to trusted sources of information about the topic. In some cases, Twitter may add a specific warning to tweets, depending on the potential harm and the type of misleading information.
- Misleading information — statements or assertions that have been confirmed to be false or misleading by subject-matter experts, such as public health authorities.
- Disputed claims — statements or assertions in which the accuracy, truthfulness, or credibility of the claim is contested or unknown.
- Unverified claims — information (which could be true or false) that is unconfirmed at the time it is shared.
Twitter will take different actions based on these categories (take a look at the neat little table above). The social network will monitor COVID-19 related information and flag misleading content, prioritizing high-visibility tweets.