Twitter testing new feature to prompt users to open articles before retweeting

The social media network is now trying to regulate the spread of such information to “promote informed discussion”. In a tweet, it said: “sharing an article can spark conversation, so you may want to read it before you tweet it.”

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 Support (@TwitterSupport) June 10, 2020

The new feature will be tested first on Android.

Over the years, Twitter has often been called out by misinformation spread by its users, some of whom are politicians and public figures with a wide audience.

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However, last week, the social media network flagged one of US President Donald Trump’s tweets for “violating its rules about glorifying violence”, besides warning that a tweet by Trump could contain misinformation and added a fact-check option for users.

Earlier this month, Twitter announced plans for dealing with deep fakes, or manipulated video.  It also tested out a new way to combat misinformation in tweets by labelling potential misinformation as orange or red with the tag ‘Harmfully Misleading’ beneath them.