Twitter plans to start warning users about misleading coronavirus info

Twitter said Monday that in some cases it’ll add labels and warning messages to tweets that contain misleading or disputed information about the novel coronavirus, a sign that the company is stepping up its efforts to crack down on misinformation.

Misinformation about COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, has been an ongoing challenge for social networks. False claims that encourage people to drink bleach or not wear masks can be harmful to people’s health. Despite these efforts, conspiracy theories and hoaxes including that the virus is caused by 5G continue to spread on social media sites. 

Twitter said the new labels and warning messages will provide more information and context about the misleading tweets, an approach that is in line with how other sites such as Facebook handle misinformation. 

“Moving forward, we may use these labels and warning messages to provide additional explanations or clarifications in situations where the risks of harm associated with a tweet are less severe but where people may still be confused or misled by the content,” said Yoel Roth, Twitter’s head of site integrity, and Nick Pickles, who heads the company’s public policy, in a blog post. 

If the information in the tweet is false or misleading but has a likelihood of causing “moderate” harm, Twitter will label the tweet rather than remove it. The company will add a label and a warning to claims that are contested or unknown but have a likelihood of causing severe harm. Twitter won’t take any action if the information hasn’t been to be confirmed as true or false. 

A Twitter spokeswoman said that moderate harm could impact a person’s likelihood of coming in contact with the coronavirus, but it generally doesn’t include any specific call to action. The company is rolling out the new labels on Monday but didn’t immediately have examples of what’s considered severe versus moderate harm.

In the warning notice, Twitter users will see a message that states “Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet conflicts with guidance from public health experts regarding COVID-19” followed by a link to learn more. A label displayed underneath the tweet has a link that states “Get the facts about COVID-19” that will direct users to more information.

Last week, Twitter and other social networks were grappling with a viral video that contained various conspiracy theories about the coronavirus pandemic. Unlike Facebook or Google-owned YouTube, Twitter didn’t remove the videos but marked the links to the video as unsafe. Copies of the video still continue to surface, including on Twitter.

The company has removed tweets that contained harmful coronavirus misinformation from politicians including Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Bolsonaro’s tweets included videos of the politician questioning social distancing and quarantine measures. Maduro recommended the use of a “natural brew” as a potential cure for the coronavirus.

But Twitter has also left up President Donald Trump’s tweets calling for the liberation of three states where people protested coronavirus lockdowns because it was unclear or vague if it was a “clear call to action” that could threaten people’s health.

Now playing:
Watch this:

Walmart selling Vudu, Facebook removes misinformation…

1:35