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Twitter Cracks Down With Warning On Misleading Info Shared By Likes

Twitter Cracks Down With Warning On Misleading Info Shared By Likes

Pictured: Daniel Golightly
By Daniel Golightly
November 24, 2020
Featured image for Twitter Cracks Down With Warning On Misleading Info Shared By Likes

Twitter has announced yet another change to its UI in favor of halting the spread of misleading information, this time with a warning that appears on likes. That’s according to recent reports detailing the matter after the company’s official announcement via a Twitter post.

Specifically, Twitter will now notify users who like images or posts containing misinformation. When a user likes misleading information, a pop-up warning will show up on the lower half of the Twitter UI. The notification informs the user that the information is “disputed.”

It then asks users to help keep the platform a source for reliable information, as shown in the app image above. And asks that they “find out more” before they can share the original tweet via a Quote Tweet.

Why this particular misleading Tweet warning and why now?

Twitter indicates that it is taking this action, as noted already, to stem the flow of misleading information. It wants to provide “context” to information that’s been labeled misleading as per its synthetic and manipulated media rules. In particular, it hopes to address misinformation about the US election, COVID-19, and similar issues.

Informing users they might be sharing false information isn’t the first action taken by Twitter on the matter either. The election has proven itself to be a challenge on this front and, as of mid-November, the company has labeled as many as 1 in 500 Tweets as misleading. In such a hotly contested election, that’s hardly surprising. Especially since many of those Tweets have originated from public officials and politicians themselves.

The social media giant has also made a point of ensuring these types of posts are unable to be reshared. That is unless they are shared as a Quote Tweet.

What’s next for Twitter?

Twitter also notes that notifications and other actions it has taken have already slowed the spread of fake news. By as much as 29-percent, in fact. So it wouldn’t be too shocking to see the company continue pursuing a better handle on misinformation that spreads all too easily on social media.