Twitter will block certain links that redirect their users to websites that promote hate and unsafe messages.
Twitter has been on a tear this year in making the online world a better place. They not only curbed misinformation on COVID-19 but they also boldly fact-checked the U.S. President for alleged fake news.
On the other hand, its main competitor, Facebook, still has leaps and bounds to tackle. It is still rife with misinformation and hate speech. It had to take powerful boycotts from multinational corporations to force them to act on issues.
The company owned by Jack Dorsey is not stopping on its tracks. It won’t allow its platform to be used as a vehicle to promote hate and violence. As such, it will reportedly send warnings or block certain links that redirect users to unsafe internet spaces.
No hate links on Twitter
Twitter announced that starting on July 30, the company will be on the watch for Tweets that have unsafe links. It said via its Help center,
“Twitter will take action to limit or prevent the spread of URL links to content outside Twitter. This is done by displaying a warning notice when the link is clicked, or by blocking the link so that it can’t be Tweeted at all.”
URL links that could potentially steal personal information of users via phishing or malware will be marked with a warning symbol. In addition, Tweets that disrupt the users’ experience on the website will also be tagged as potentially harmful.
On the other hand, Tweets with links that ultimately violate the policies of the company will be automatically banned. These include terrorism, hateful conduct, violence, and other similar contents.
As we continue to address harmful content, we’ve updated our link policy:
1️⃣ Hateful conduct and violence are now link content categories that we may block
2️⃣ Accounts dedicated to sharing these types of links may be suspendedThe full policy: https://t.co/G99F3M779b
— Support (@Support) July 28, 2020
Miscategorized links may be reported
Twitter has a strong combination of third party providers and an internal tech team that will implement the new policy. Moreover, Twitter is assisted by non-government organizations and reported Tweets to spot these harmful links.
URL links that have been blocked will no longer be allowed to be retweeted. Once a user clicks on the link, they will get a notice that Twitter has deemed them to be ‘potentially harmful.’ Tweets that have a warning on them may still be clicked. However, those will be marked with a clear symbol with a disclaimer for the users. Also, their circulation on the website will be limited.
As for miscategorized links, users may report a possible error, and Twitter will immediately act on them.
Image from Morning Brew/ Unsplash