Twitter will soon begin testing a new feature that will ask users to think before retweeting unread articles. Specifically, if a user is about to tweet an article that they haven’t read, they will be shown a message asking them to read it before retweeting it. As BuzzFeed reported, in the initial stages of testing, the new feature will be available to Android using the app in English. The test may continue for weeks to collect the necessary data and determine future plans for the feature. The pop-up window for reading an article before retweeting will appear when Twitter detects that some users don’t read the articles they want to retweet and therefore have no idea about their exact content.
In an official tweet, Twitter Support said that sharing or retweeting an article can start a conversation. In order to have “informed conversations” and avoid negative incidents, Twitter is testing a feature that will ask users to read an article before retweeting it.
Kayvon Baykpour, Twitter’s chief product officer, said the feature changes the way people see and perceive the article they are about to retweet. The feature aims to make Twitter a platform where “reasonable” discussions can take place, while also seeking to limit fake news. In recent months, Twitter has added several new features to make it easier for its users and to “filter” its platform. One such feature allowed users to decide who can reply to their posts on Twitter. Twitter also added a disclaimer regarding a tweet by US President Donald Trumpthat was said to “glorify” violence. It also deleted a tribute video shared by Donald Trump for George Floyd.
The microblogging site also introduced a new feature called “Fleets,” which allows users to post posts that disappear after 24 hours. This feature will provide expressive freedom to many users on the platform.
