Twitter introduces new labels and warnings to dispute fake COVID-19 tweets

Twitter has been actively trying to halt the spread of misleading COVID-19 related information on the platform. Recently, they’ve introduced new labels and warning messages that will provide additional context and information on some tweets containing disputed or misleading information related to the virus.

Twitter has previously announced that they require users to remove tweets making unverified claims that could “incite people to action and cause widespread panic, social unrest or large-scale disorder.” This was because of tweets that were spread inciting people to damage 5G infrastructure, due to false conspiracy theories about links between 5G technology and COVID-19 on their site.

Labels

Earlier this year, Twitter had introduced a new label for tweets containing synthetic and manipulated media. for example, if a video in your Twitter timeline has been altered, it will be labelled as “manipulated media”. You can even tap the label to view information from reputable sources.

This time, similar labels will now appear on tweets containing potentially harmful, misleading information related specifically to COVID-19. This will also apply to tweets sent before today. These labels will link to a Twitter page or external trusted source containing additional information on the claims made within the tweet. 

Warning messages

Twitter also introduced ‘warning messages’ to be applied to a tweet, depending on how harmful or misleading the information is. These warnings will inform users that the information in the tweet conflicts with public health experts’ guidance before they view it.

They will take action based on three broad categories:

• 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 stated that they “are using and improving on internal systems to proactively monitor content related to COVID-19.” They also hope to ensure that they’re not amplifying tweets with these warnings or labels and detecting the high-visibility content quickly. They will also prioritise to review and label content that could lead to increased exposure or transmission. You can read more information on their update here.

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