Twitter tests feature that prompts users to read stories before they retweet

To promote more informed discussions, Twitter now wants its users to read the content of the link mentioned in the tweet before retweeting. The microblogging platform is now testing a feature that will call out users to actually read the article before they retweet. However, the feature under testing does not stop a user from retweeting a link before reading it. It just suggests the user that they might want to consider reading before sharing it. 

For now, the prompt is being tested on small number of Android users based in the United States. Twitter did not specify when it plans to bring the feature to other operating systems. It is also not clear as to when, and if, the feature would be made available to the rest of the U.S. and users in other countries. Here are all the details about the feature being tested.

Sharing an article can spark conversation, so you may want to read it before you Tweet it.

To help promote informed discussion, we’re testing a new prompt on Android –– when you Retweet an article that you haven’t opened on Twitter, we may ask if you’d like to open it first.

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) June 10, 2020

The “Read-before-you-retweet” Prompt

The tech company says retweeting stories sparks conversation on the platform. This is a step towards helping Twitteratis be more aware of what they are sharing so that there are more meaningful and healthier conversations. Through this feature, in a way, Twitter is asking users to slow down, read the content of the link and see if it really resonates with them. 

In a broad perspective, the feature is also an attempt to control misinformation on the platform. This year, the 280-character-limit platform took several other steps with the same goal. 

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Twitter’s attempts at controlling misinformation

On June 10th, Twitter announced that it will start putting labels on tweets about COVID-19 and 5G conspiracy theory. This move was the result of a rumour that suggested 5G wireless networks are the apparent reason behind the spread of coronavirus. Several 5G communication towers in the UK and Australia were vandalized because of the spread of this false news. In May, the platform also announced that it will introduce new labels and warning messages on potentially misleading tweets to provide users with content. 

Recently, Twitter also rolled out features like the ability to hide specific replies to tweets. The social network also said that it will be testing a cleaner interface for threaded conversations. It also announced that in the coming months it will improve its algorithm to deal with deep fakes and manipulated videos. 

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