The use of warning labels on tweets containing misleading information about Covid-19 vaccines is expanding from Twitter .
The practice is designed to bolster the social network's existing purge of misleading information about Covid-19, which has led to the removal of more than 8,400 tweets and challenged 11.5 million accounts worldwide.
In December, the platform began providing more labels to tweets with questionable information about the pandemic. Now, the company is increasing its focus on posts about vaccines and launching a “strike” system that “determines when further action is needed.”
Twitter's decision comes amid concerns about the spread of anti-vaccination material on social media.
The labels will initially be enforced only by humans and not by automated systems, but users will not face any additional action after their first warning.
If a user receives a second warning, their account will be locked for 12 hours, with an additional 12 hours if a third violation is observed . A seven-day account lock will be imposed after four warnings, followed by a permanent suspension for five or more warnings.
"We believe the warning system will help inform the public about our policies and further reduce the spread of potentially harmful and misleading information on Twitter, particularly for repeated moderate and serious violations of our rules," the company said.
Facebook also enacted specific regulations for issues such as political information and vaccine misinformation, but was criticized for how it actually acted, with some accusing the company of refusing to take steps to avoid being seen as politically biased .
Under the new policy, users cannot report other users specifically for Covid-related misinformation, despite that type of content being banned on the platform. Instead, users who believe a particular tweet violates the company's rules must report it for another violation and use the text box to add that misinformation is prohibited.
Twitter's new policies come after Facebook completely banned misinformation about vaccines in early February, using a similar warning system that suspends users who post false claims and permanently removes those with multiple violations.
Twitter, Facebook, and platforms like Instagram and TikTokbegan adding links and labels to any information about Covid-19 early in the pandemic. On Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, posting even the term “Covid-19” will receive a warning label and a link to accurate information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The prevalence of misinformation and how it is being addressed on these platforms underscores the enormous influence that large private companies have on issues of public health, democracy and decisions about free speech, said Gautam Hans, director of the Stanton Foundation First Amendment Clinic at Vanderbilt University.
