Twitter said it was expanding the use of Birdwatch, its community-based fact-checking program it first disclosed in October 2020. So far, the service has been tested with a small group of 10,000 contributors who put in the time to write and rate descriptions that add more context to potentially misleading tweets. However, instead of opening Birdwatch to more contributors, the company made the annotations available to more US users to view and rate.
Starting today, the company said a random group of US Twitter users will see Birdwatch’s annotations directly in their tweets and will be able to provide the annotations by rating them helpful, somewhat, or nothing. opinion, and indicate why they answered this way. This information will help Birdwatch improve.
The original idea for Birdwatch was to create a system that would combat misinformation on the platform faster than it does now by reporting tweets to Twitter for review. As Twitter explained when it officially launched the service into pilot testing in January 2021, misleading information can quickly spread online, and Birdwatch could provide additional context in a more direct way.
🐦Introducing Birdwatch aliases!🔍 We want everyone to feel comfortable contributing to Birdwatch, and aliases let you write and rate notes without sharing your Twitter username. pic.twitter.com/ROlbpYvT7u
— Birdwatch (@birdwatch) November 22, 2021
Additionally, the instructions can help address concerns users have about problematic tweets that they would otherwise report to Twitter to ask for them to be taken down, when in fact the tweets did not violate the rules. Birdwatch can reinforce tweets that may be true, but lack context to provide a clearer picture.
With the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian war, the need for better (or at least faster) fact-checking is greater than ever due to the spread of misinformation and propaganda on social media. Twitter officials said that it will soon expand the Birdwatch pilot. In other words, the timing of today’s announcement is not a coincidence.
In an early pilot phase, Twitter made improvements to Birdwatch, including giving contributors auto-generated aliases to protect them from misuse, as well as notifications letting them know when their notes are rated helpful or promoted. To show up on Twitter, the company says, it must first be reviewed by a sufficient number of Birdwatch contributors from different perspectives.
Twitter has also added in-app tip reminders to encourage contributors to include their sources and make their explanations clear. It also launched a “Need Your Help” tab for Birdwatch participants to rate checks that need more feedback.