Twitter has introduced a crisis misinformation policy that will seek to amplify “credible and authoritative information” in times of crises. The company wrote that it wants to prevent the recommendation of viral misinformation by its algorithms. “…misleading information can undermine public trust and cause further harm to already vulnerable communities….this new approach will help to slow the spread by us of the most visible, misleading content, particularly that which could lead to severe harms,” read the blog post by the company. Why it matters: Twitter is often a source of information and resources during situations of armed conflict, public health emergencies, and natural disasters. It has also led to a proliferation of misinformation as users are more susceptible to falling prey. This policy may help curb the spread of viral content which is not factually accurate and ensure credible information reaches those who need it. What does the policy entail: Twitter, once it has evidence, will not “amplify or recommend” a claim that may be misleading across Twitter. It will include restricting content in the following sections: Home timeline Search Explore Addition of a warning label: Twitter also said that it will prioritise adding warning notices to “highly visible Tweets and Tweets from high profile accounts, such as state-affiliated media accounts, verified, official government accounts”. [caption id="attachment_162192" align="aligncenter" width="880"] Source: Twitter[/caption] What you’ll see on Twitter: A violation will attract a label that will require people to click through the warning notice to view the tweet. Twitter also said that Likes, Retweets,…
