As if constantly labeling tweets wasn’t enough, Twitter has now introduced a new method to tackle what it deems to be “misinformation.”
Twitter’s new innovation in censorship, Birdwatch, is intended to allow Twitter users to rat out and “provide context” for tweets they consider to be misinformation.
Keith Coleman, Twitter’s Vice President of Product, described Birdwatch as “a pilot in the US of a new community-driven approach to help address misleading information on Twitter” in a blog post.
“Birdwatch allows people to identify information in Tweets they believe is misleading and write notes that provide informative context. We believe this approach has the potential to respond quickly when misleading information spreads, adding context that people trust and find valuable,” Coleman added. “Eventually we aim to make notes visible directly on Tweets for the global Twitter audience, when there is consensus from a broad and diverse set of contributors.”
Notes on tweets will not be available on Twitter itself, initially. “In this first phase of the pilot, notes will only be visible on a separate Birdwatch site. On this site, pilot participants can also rate the helpfulness of notes added by other contributors. These notes are being intentionally kept separate from Twitter for now, while we build Birdwatch and gain confidence that it produces context people find helpful and appropriate. Additionally, notes will not have an effect on the way people see Tweets or our system recommendations,” Coleman’s post continued.
Twitter made clear that anyone — yes, anyone — can sign up for Birdwatch to rat out their fellow man on social media. “We want to invite anyone to sign up and participate in this program, and know that the broader and more diverse the group, the better Birdwatch will be at effectively addressing misinformation. More details on how to apply here,” said Coleman.
Twitter censorship has already been egregious, even without the new Birdwatch program. The platform censored former President Donald Trump 625 times between May 31, 2018, and January 4, 2021. President Joe Biden was not at all during the same time span. Twitter also bragged that it labeled 300,000 tweets during the 2020 election cycle.
Conservatives are under attack. Contact Twitter at (415) 222-9670 and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us at the Media Research Center contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
