Twitter has announced a new community-driven way to address misinformation on its platform called Birdwatch.
In a blog post this week, Twitter’s VP of Product, Keith Coleman, explains that while Twitter already applies labels and adds context to Tweets to tackle misinformation, it wants to “broaden the range of voices that are part of tackling this problem.” The way forward is what Coleman calls “a community-driven approach.” With this in mind, Twitter is announcing Birdwatch, a new pilot program, in the US, that addresses misleading information on the platform.
Related | #ThisHappened On Twitter In 2020
Twitter Birdwatch gives people the power to identify misleading information in Tweets, and comment on it to provide context that Twitter can use to respond more quickly to the spread of misleading information. For the time being, Twitter won’t publish these notes on Tweets, but plans to make them visible to everyone when “there is consensus from a broad and diverse set of contributors.”
The first phase calls for notes to be available on the Birdwatch site, and kept separately from Twitter. Participants in the pilot will also be able to rate notes written by other contributors. In the announcement, Coleman also clarifies that notes won’t have an effect on recommendations on Twitter; therefore they won’t affect what people see on the platform.
Birdwatch will be totally transparent, of course. As Coleman notes, all data contributed will be available publicly and easily downloadable in TSV files. Similarly, any algorithms developed to power Birdwatch will be available publicly in the so-called “Birdwatch Guide.” You can already view the initial ranking system for Birdwatch here.
You might also like
More from Twitter
Twitter CFO: Trump Ban Is Permanent
According to Twitter's CFO, Trump will never be allowed back on its platform - even if he became president again.
Instagram, TikTok, And Twitter Team Up To Fight Username Hacking
Username hacking consists of stealing rare and coveted usernames on platforms like Instagram, and then sell them for a profit.
Twitter Acquires Newsletter Service Revue
Twitter is looking to expand into newsletters with the acquisition of Revue, a Dutch newsletter service.
Twitter Acquires Social Podcast App Breaker
Social podcast app Breaker has announced its acquisition by Twitter and the closure of its app on January 15.
Twitter Will Wipe Out All Followers From The @POTUS Account
Joe Biden will need some new followers, as Twitter announced its plans to wipe out all followers from the @POTUS …
Twitter Is Shutting Down Periscope
Another one bites the dust! Twitter announced that it's shutting down Periscope, but keeping native live video streaming in its …
Twitter Is Bringing Back Its Verification Program In January
After pausing its verification program in 2017, Twitter has now announced that it's bringing it back on January 20, 2021.
#ThisHappened On Twitter In 2020
Twitter has released its year in review report, examining what kept us entertained and the messages we shared. This is …