Twitter launches tool to report election-related misinformation

Twitter on Wednesday announced it is launching a new tool that will allow users to report content promoting misinformation ahead of elections.

The feature will be rolled out in India and the European Union this month, ahead of their elections.

{mosads}The reporting tool allows users to flag content that could mislead citizens about how, where and when to vote. The company said the mechanism will aid in its efforts to crack down on misinformation that aims to deter voter participation.

Twitter’s announcement comes as the social media platform ramps up its efforts to remove the scourge of misinformation and divisive content intended to divide the electorate in countries around the world.

Public conversation on Twitter is never more important than during elections. Today, we’re launching a new reporting feature to tackle deliberate attempts to mislead about voting. We’ll start with #LokSabhaElections2019 & #EUelections2019 https://t.co/rDdEwX3FcR pic.twitter.com/jrLOc3k1hC

— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) April 24, 2019

Users will soon be allowed to flag tweets via a drop-down menu and selecting an option labeled “It’s misleading about voting.” Twitter will then review the content.

A company spokesperson told The Hill that Twitter will “provide an update on 2020 if and when we have one” but that it is focused on elections in other parts of the world for now.

Social media platforms have come under immense scrutiny following revelations that a coordinated campaign of Russian trolls sought to divide the U.S. electorate ahead of the 2016 election by using Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. The Russian troll farm deployed a multitude of tactics, including disinformation campaigns about voting and the amplification of posts about inflammatory political topics in the U.S., such as race relations.

“Voting is a fundamental human right and the public conversation occurring on Twitter is never more important than during elections,” the company said in the blog post Wednesday. “Any attempts to undermine the process of registering to vote or engaging in the electoral process is contrary to our company’s core values.”