(Reuters) – Twitter Inc will start inserting warning notices in entrance of some deceptive content material concerning the conflict in Ukraine and restrict the unfold of claims debunked by humanitarian teams or different credible sources, the social media firm stated on Thursday.
The step-up in opposition to misinformation round Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “particular army operation,” is a part of a brand new coverage that outlines how Twitter will method misinformation throughout crises.
Social media platforms have confronted rising scrutiny over how they decide and deal with misinformation. Twitter has agreed to promote itself to Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk, who has stated he believes the positioning must be a platform of free speech.
The new warning notices will alert customers {that a} tweet has violated Twitter’s guidelines, however nonetheless enable folks to view and remark. The platform is not going to amplify or suggest such tweets and retweeting can even be disabled.
The method might be “a more practical approach to intervene to forestall hurt, whereas nonetheless preserving and defending speech on Twitter,” stated Yoel Roth, head of security and integrity at Twitter, throughout a name with reporters.
The firm will prioritize including labels to deceptive tweets from high-profile accounts reminiscent of verified customers or official authorities profiles. It can even prioritize content material that might trigger hurt to folks on the bottom.
Twitter stated it defines crises as conditions the place there’s a widespread risk to life, bodily security, well being or primary subsistence. It stated the coverage would initially concentrate on worldwide armed conflicts however can also be supposed for occasions like mass shootings or pure disasters.
“While the timeline for this work started earlier than the warfare in Ukraine broke out, the necessity for this coverage got here into even clearer focus because the conflict in Ukraine unfolded,” stated Roth.
(Reporting by Sheila Dang in Dallas and Elizabeth Culliford in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
