Stop and think before you send that tweet! Twitter relaunches feature on iOS that encourages users to revise ‘potentially harmful’ replies
- Twitter has relaunched a feature that encourages users to revise tweets
- If its AI detects harmful language, a notification will appear to revise the context
- The roll out is currently an experiment on iOS, which can be ignored by users
Twitter is asking users to think before publishing ‘a potentially harmful reply.’
The social media platform announced Tuesday that if offensive words are detected in a reply by it’s AI, the system will prompt users to consider the context and revise.
The feature is currently an experiment on iOS and those involved in the test will receive a notification that lets them ‘revise,’ ‘delete’ or ‘send’ the tweet.
Twitter has conducted similar variations in the feature last year when its AI was deemed capable of detecting harmful language in tweets – and it seems the social media giant is giving it another go.
Twitter is asking users to think before publishing ‘a potentially harmful reply.’ The social media platform announced Tuesday that if offensive words are detected in a reply by it’s AI, the system will prompt users to consider the context and revise
In May 2020, the feature was rolled out to iOS in a bid to convince users to stop and think before releasing a potentially harmful tweet.
‘When things get heated, you may say things you don’t mean,’ reads the May announcement.
‘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.’
However, the feature quietly vanished and resurfaced a few months later in August 2020 on Android, iOS and the web – but again was canceled from the platform.
In May 2020, the feature was rolled out to iOS in a bid to convince users to stop and think before releasing a potentially harmful tweet
And it seems third time’s the charm, as Twitter is giving the feature another go.
‘Say something in the moment you might regret,’ Twitter shared in Tuesday’s announcement.
‘We’ve relaunched this experiment on iOS that asks you to review a reply that’s potentially harmful or offensive. Think you’ve received a prompt by mistake? Share your feedback with us so we can improve.’
According to the social platform, it is conducting a test for users on iOS that will use its AI to scan replies before they’re posted and give users a chance to re-think or revise them.
Users are also free to ignore the warning message and post the reply anyway.
Twitter has rolled out numerous feature over the last year that aim at combating hateful speed and misinformation on the platform.
And it seems third time’s the charm, as Twitter is giving the feature another go
Twitter has rolled out numerous feature over the last year that aim at combating hateful speed and misinformation on the platform
One such feature launched last June that warns users attempting to retweet an article without clicking on it as a way 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,’ the firm shared in an announcement on Twitter.
‘Sharing an article can spark conversation, so you may want to read it before you Tweet it,’ reads the announcement.
Twitter rolled out another feature in May 2020 to address the misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic – it warns users when a tweet contains disputed or misleading information about the coronavirus.
The social media firm will take a case-by-case approach to how it decides which tweets are labeled and will only remove posts that are harmful, company leaders said in May.
Some tweets will run with a label underneath that directs users to a link with additional information about COVID-19.
Other tweets might be covered entirely by a warning label alerting users that ‘some or all of the content shared.