Twitter has confirmed that it reversed a change that changed the appearance of deleted tweets embedded on sites other than Twitter. Sites will no longer leave blanks on deleted tweets but will go back to displaying the original text of the tweet. In an emailed statement to The Verge, Twitter spokesperson Remi Duhé said:
After considering the feedback we’ve heard, we’re temporarily retracting this change while exploring different options. We thank those who shared their views – your feedback helps us make Twitter better.”
If a user goes to any third-party webpage with an embedded tweet, they will see that they can again see the original text of the tweet, the date, and the name of the user who posted the tweet. Judging by Twitter’s response, the reversal appears to be only temporary, as the company is looking for an alternative way to display deleted tweets on the site. It’s unclear what “different options” Twitter might try.
On Wednesday, Kevin Marks pointed out that Twitter quietly started using Javascript — possibly as early as late March — to block deleted tweets embedded in other sites. This includes tweets from accounts that have been banned or suspended by Twitter so that people can’t see embedded tweets from people like Donald Trump, which Twitter banned last year. This has considerable implications for news coverage that includes tweets that have been deleted or tweets of banned users, which are often important for context.
Earlier this week, Twitter announced that it was developing a long-awaited “edit” button, raising concerns about whether people could abuse it after a tweet, including those embedded, was shared. a function to change its content.