by Bryan Babb
Twitter announced Thursday that the company would be implementing a new policy for its users that would focus on making sure widespread “misinformation” was not amplified on the site during crises.
Tweets branded as misinformation during a crisis will be blocked out with a warning notice under the new “Crisis Misinformation Policy,” the blog post read. Twitter added that the policy would prioritize tweets with high exposure or from “high profile accounts.”
A variety of credible sources will verify whether a claim contains “misleading” information, Twitter wrote in the post. These sources will include “conflict monitoring groups, humanitarian organizations, open-source investigators, journalists, and more,” the announcement said.
Twitter refused to answer The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for the specific identities of the organizations that will verify the claims.
People turn to Twitter during crisis times to share news, find support, and stay connected. Today, we’re launching a crisis misinformation policy so Twitter doesn’t recommend or amplify viral, false content that can further harm already vulnerable groups.https://t.co/NyhoGo5RQU
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) May 19, 2022
“To reduce potential harm, as soon as we have evidence that a claim may be misleading, we won’t amplify or recommend content that is covered by this policy across Twitter – including in the Home timeline, Search, and Explore,” Twitter said in the blog post. “In addition, we will prioritize adding warning notices to highly visible Tweets and Tweets from high profile accounts, such as state-affiliated media accounts, verified, official government accounts.”
Tweets could receive a warning notice if they include false reporting that “mischaracterizes conditions” of evolving ground conflicts and “false allegations” regarding the use of force and violations of sovereign territory, according to the blog post.
Additionally, tweets that contain “demonstrably false” war crime allegations or inaccurate information on the response of the international community could also be subject to a warning notice, the blog post read.
Fact checks, strong commentary, and anecdotes are exempt from the policy, according to the blog post.
The policy was first developed to deal with crises relating to armed international conflict in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the blog post read. However, Twitter stated that the company is set to expand the policy to “include additional forms of crisis.”
The policy comes as an effort to “mitigate harm, while still preserving speech and records of critical global events,” Twitter said in the post.
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Bryan Babb is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
