Twitter’s latest effort to stop misinformation from going viral involves recruiting the public to fact-check tweets.
On Monday, the company introduced Birdwatch, an upcoming feature it plans on testing in the US. With Birdwatch, anyone can write a note on a misleading or factually wrong tweet that explains why the content is off base.
Birdwatch users will then be able to rate the helpfulness of each note. The top note will be added to the offending tweet for additional context.
The test feature expands Twitter’s current approach to fact-checking, which involves the company dictating which tweets break its rules and then placing a warning label over them. It’s a slow process that often prompts plenty of confusion and outrage from the public.
The difference with Birdwatch is how the community can now have its own say on dubious tweets. “We apply labels and add context to Tweets, but we don't want to limit efforts to circumstances where something breaks our rules or receives widespread public attention,” Twitter says. “We also want to broaden the range of voices that are part of tackling this problem, and we believe a community-driven approach can help.”
Of course, you can already reply or “quote tweet” controversial content on the site. However, the Birdwatch feature promises to elevate community-driven fact-checking to a new level. “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,” the company says.
But don’t expect a quick rollout. For now, the company will implement the beta feature in phases. The first phase will post user-written notes on a separate Birdwatch site for the public to see.
“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,” the company says. “Additionally, notes will not have an effect on the way people see Tweets or our system recommendations.”
The other issue is Birdwatch becoming vulnerable to manipulation. Twitter wants to make sure the system “isn’t dominated by a simple majority or biased based on its distribution of contributors,” the company says. “We know this might be messy and have problems at times, but we believe this is a model worth trying."
To participate in Birdwatch, eligible users can sign up here. The company will then let you know if you’ve been accepted.