Twitter is working on a new product “Birdwatch” to help fight misinformation on its platform. If a tweet has a Birdwatch note then a small binocular icon will appear next to it. One can tap on this icon to read notes that have been written about the tweet. There’s also an “add to Birdwatch” option under the drop-down menu along with other actions like blocking or reporting the tweet.
Users can create Birdwatch notes for their tweets which others will get to read. There’s also a “Birdwatch Notes” section placed under the Moments section in the sidebar menu. Here, users can keep a track of their Birdwatch notes.
This feature was first uncovered in early stages of development by reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong, who found the system through Twitter’s own website.
Twitter is yet to announce this feature and how exactly it will work. Twitter is also planning to bring its ‘read the article before you retweet’ prompt for all users soon. The prompt appears when users tap on the retweet button of a story they haven’t actually opened and read. It started testing the feature in June this year, and it will be available globally soon.
