Twitter begins labeling misleading tweets about COVID-19 vaccines
It's also introducing a strike system, where five strikes against its coronavirus misinformation policy results in a permanent account suspension.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
Twitter has removed thousands of misleading tweets about COVID-19 vaccines.
Twitter has announced it will begin labeling any tweets that may contain misleading information about the COVID-19 vaccine. Since introducing its coronavirus guidance in December, Twitter said Monday it has removed more than 8,400 tweets and challenged 11.5 million accounts across the globe.
Twitter will also begin using a "strike" system where two or three strikes earns you a 12-hour account lock, four strikes gets a week-long account lock and five or more results in a permanent suspension from the social media site. Having a tweet deleted for being misleading will earn you two strikes; being labeled will get you one strike.
Read more: Where to get a COVID-19 vaccine: Walgreens, Walmart, Disneyland, more
For now, labels are being applied by Twitter employees. In future, twitter says it'll use both automated and human review to determine what tweets violate its COVID-19 misinformation policy.
Twitter is also working on helping users find accurate health information from experts and health authorities.