Twitter gives some users the ability to edit tweets... sort of
For years people have been asking -- nay, begging -- Twitter to add the option of editing tweets, and for years the company has resisted. Now, for a handful of iOS users, this is changing.
If you've been holding your breath for an Edit Tweet button, exhale now before you pass out. A proper editing option is not likely to arrive any time soon -- if at all -- but as part of an experiment, Twitter is testing the ability to "revise" tweets.
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The option is part of an experiment with iOS users only, and even in this group of Twitter users the option will not be available on all tweets. Concerned about the level of abuse on its platform, Twitter is testing out scanning tweeted replies for potentially harmful language. If such language is detected, users will be asked if they would like to reconsider what they are about to say in response to a tweet.
In a tweet sent via its support account, Twitter says it is giving some people the option to revise the text of their strongly worded tweets:
When things get heated, you may say things you don't mean. To let you rethink a reply, we’re running a limited experiment on iOS with a prompt that gives you the option to revise your reply before it’s published if it uses language that could be harmful.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) May 5, 2020
Speaking to Reuters, Twitter's global head of site policy Sunita Saligram said:
We're trying to encourage people to rethink their behavior and rethink their language before posting because they often are in the heat of the moment and they might say something they regret.
The experiment is due to last a few weeks, and will only apply to English-language tweets. It's not clear if Twitter plans to test the waters with users on platforms other than iOS.
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