Twitter launches a new reporting feature that allows users to flag tweets about voting that may mislead voters

Twitter, yesterday launched a dedicated reporting feature to allow users to more easily report manipulative elections-related content. This content includes but is not limited to:

• Misleading information about how to vote or register to vote (for example, that you can vote by Tweet, text message, email, or phone call);

• Misleading information about requirements for voting, including identification requirements; and
• Misleading statements or information about the official announced date or time of an election.

On encountering a misleading tweet, users can select report tweet from the drop-down menu and mark it as “it’s misleading about voting”. They can also select the option that best tells how the tweet is misleading about voting.

Last year, Twitter shared an update on their work on maintaining conversational health and protecting the integrity of the mid-term US elections. This work ranged from updating their rules, detecting and removing several fake accounts, and introducing new features like electoral labels for election candidates.

Twitter says that the new reporting feature will be used to tackle deliberate attempts to mislead about voting, starting with India’s #LokSabhaElections2019. This strengthened approach will be fully operational in India beginning today and in the EU from April 29.

However, Twitter is a bit late to join the party considering India is already in Phase 3 of its election process with election results to be announced on 23rd May.

It is also surprising as to why Twitter has only chosen India and the EU for it’s reporting feature. General elections will be held in Guatemala on June 16, 2019, to elect the President and Congress. The 2019 Australian federal election will be held on Saturday 18 May 2019 to elect members of the 46th Parliament of Australia.

On asking a Twitter spokesperson, whether it’ll be available in the US, Twitter told CNET: “We’re exploring this for critical elections outside the United States, and we’ll provide an update on 2020 if and when we have one.”

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