Twitter unveils new policy to combat Ukraine war misinformation

Twitter has launched a brand new coverage to crack down on on-line misinformation concerning the conflict in Ukraine and different humanitarian crises.

The social media platform will now not advocate and amplify tweets which were recognized as false. Customers may even be unable to love, retweet or share content material that violates the brand new “disaster misinformation” guidelines.

The change is a part of a broader effort to advertise correct info throughout instances of battle or disaster, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The coverage will deal with doubtlessly harmful misinformation about alleged conflict crimes, battle narratives, “the usage of weapons,” and humanitarian operations.

The platform may even make it a precedence so as to add labels to verified, high-profile accounts that share misinformation concerning the conflict.

“During times of disaster – similar to conditions of armed battle, public well being emergencies, and large-scale pure disasters – entry to credible, authoritative info and sources is all of the extra vital,” Twitter’s Head of Security & Integrity Yoel Roth stated in a blog post.

“Deceptive info can undermine public belief and trigger additional hurt to already weak communities,” he added.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Twitter and different on-line platforms have struggled to fight the unfold of misinformation, propaganda and false rumours — unfold by each atypical customers and state-affiliated accounts.

Twitter already has guidelines in place that prohibit digitally manipulated media in addition to false claims about elections and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roth stated that the brand new coverage was written broadly to cowl misinformation throughout different conflicts, pure disasters, humanitarian crises or “any state of affairs the place there’s a widespread menace to well being and security.”

When labelling misinformation concerning the Ukraine conflict, the corporate will use a wide range of credible sources together with humanitarian teams, battle screens and fact-checking journalists.

“Now we have seen each side share info that could be deceptive and/or misleading,” Roth added. “We’re specializing in misinformation that could possibly be harmful, no matter the place it comes from.”

Twitter and Meta — the proprietor of Fb and Instagram — already label posts which can be shared by Russian state-controlled media and diplomats and decreased their on-line attain.

It’s unclear how the brand new coverage can be carried out if Twitter is bought by Tesla CEO Elon Musk for greater than €40 billion.

Musk has pledged to make Twitter a haven for “free speech” and says the platform ought to solely take away posts that violate the regulation.

The billionaire has additionally criticised the algorithms utilized by Twitter and different social platforms to advocate explicit posts to people.

Musk’s bid to purchase Twitter is at the moment on maintain amid a dispute over the variety of pretend or spam accounts on the social media platform.