Twitter is testing a new feature that prompts users to read an article before they retweet in a bid to curb the spread of misinformation on the platform.

“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 posted from its support account.

The feature is being tested in order to confirm the authenticity of the article in order to not let false content or harmful content go viral. This is to promote “healthier conversations” on the social media platform.

“It's easy for links/articles to go viral on Twitter. This can be powerful but sometimes dangerous, especially if people haven't read the content they're spreading. This feature (on Android for now) encourages people to read a linked article prior to retweeting it,” Kayvon Beykpour, VP of product, Twitter tweeted.

The test is currently limited to users on the Android platform in English, the Verge reported.

The platform is also testing another feature to enable healthier conversations and curb abuse on the platform. Twitter last month announced that they are testing a new feature that prompts users to rethink and edit a reply that is offensive.

“When things get heated, you may say things you don't mean. To let you rethink a reply, we’re running a limited experiment on iOS with a prompt that gives you the option to revise your reply before it’s published if it uses language that could be harmful,” Twitter had said.

Apart from this, it had also rolled out other features such as allowing users to hide replies and limit replies on their tweets. It has also recently updated its user guidelines to prevent “harmful misinformation” on the platform.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW