Twitter doesn't want you fooled by fakes as midterm elections approach
No trolls in office.
Twitter is trying to ensure that accounts linked to politicians running for office in the midterms are legitimate.
Twitter is taking a step to avoid fake news by adding specific labels to the verified accounts of US election candidates in the months leading up the 2018 midterms.
The label, an icon of a government building, will appear in candidates' profiles and in any tweets they send from May 30, after their account is verified.
The label looks like a government building.
When users click on the label, they'll be able to see the office the candidate is seeking, the state the office is located in and the district number.
Twitter is verifying the accounts of those running for state governor, the Senate or the House of Representatives with help from Ballotpedia. It will continue to add the labels on a rolling basis as candidates qualify for the ballot.
Users will be able to see the label on each of the account's tweets.
The verification process comes in the same week Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg dodged questions from European lawmakers about how his social-media platform has been used in election meddling. In September 2017, Twitter reported to congressional investigators 201 Russian accounts linked to Facebook ads that may've influenced the 2016 presidential election.
The upcoming midterms are the first time many Americans will return to the ballot box since the 2016 presidential elections.