Twitter clumsily fact-checks ‘5G corona’ tweets

Twitter told Engadget that its labels are an “iterative process” and that it was focusing on tweets mentioning 5G and COVID-19 for now. The company also acknowledged that it might make mistakes, and that it would refine its process over time. You can read the official statement below.

The fact checks could get irksome with this kind of ubiquity, and might desensitize the people who most need to see them. They’re certainly not very bold. At the same time, this at least shows that Twitter is using checks more freely, and might catch misinformation peddlers who otherwise slip through the cracks.

“Labeling or placing a warning on Tweets continues to be an iterative process.  Given the global spread of misinformation and disputed claims around 5G and COVID-19, we prioritized labeling tweets with that information. Our team is currently reviewing other types of content and will label additional tweets soon.”

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