Twitter starts test in which users can report misleading tweets

Twitter has started a test where users can report misleading messages on the platform. The test is open to a relatively small group of users in the United States, South Korea and Australia.

Twitter says that from now on, some users in the mentioned countries will find the option ‘it’s misleading’ if they want to report via the drop-down menu on Twitter messages. That menu can be found at the top right of tweets and this reporting function can already be used if, for example, there is intimidation or harmful content.

According to The Verge, during the test, users must select whether the misleading message falls into one of the following categories: politics, health, or another category. The health category also includes an option for users to specifically report misinformation regarding Covid-19.

The platform says that a small test was deliberately chosen, because then it is better to assess whether this is an effective approach. Twitter reports that no action may be taken and that every report of a misleading tweet cannot be responded to.

The platform says this input nevertheless helps identify trends so that the speed and scale of policies to prevent misinformation can be improved. This is not to say that this feature for reporting misleading tweets will actually be officially released. The test will take several months before the feature becomes available in other countries.