Twitter’s new fact-checking system is here, so users can now report tweets that 1) are obviously inaccurate, and 2) could pertain to actual real-world consequences.

While the company has been publicly testing the system in the last few weeks, their fact-checking system is now live, and the company has provided its methodology documents, which are as follows: <br><br>This feature will be available to all users in the US, and will only be used for English-language content.<br><br>The company’s ultimate goal for the feature is to increase the quality and accuracy of what people see, while also stopping the spread of misinformation. <br><br>Twitter users will be able to report tweets for one of two potential issues, the first being that the tweet is obviously inaccurate, which is defined as containing a claim that is objectively false, but not necessarily impacting any particular issue. The company provides a couple examples of this, which includes, “Tweets claiming that the Earth is flat” and “Tweets that 9/11 was caused by aliens.”<br><br>The second issue that users can report is that a tweet’s misinformation could pertain to actual real-world consequences. This is defined as obviously inaccurate claims that could be preventative to someone’s health, result in election interference, or cause mass casualties. If a tweet is reported, the company will cover the tweet, prevent the tweet from being liked or retweeted, and provide a fact-check label. The company’s ultimate goal is to remove the tweet, although that obviously depends on their ability to verify whether or not the tweet is actually false.<br><br>Fact-checking is going to be the responsibility of Twitter’s Trust & Safety team, and could potentially work with Twitter Moderators, or even independent fact-checkers.<br><br>The company promises that they will use the following criteria to decide whether or not a tweet should be fact-checked, the first being whether the tweet contains misinformation, and the second being whether there are preventative measures that 1) need to be taken for the tweet, and 2) align with Twitter’s rules.<br><br>The company promises that the fact-checking system will be fair and unbiased. <br><br>CEO Linda Yaccarino said, “We believe in the power of fact-checking to improve the quality and accuracy of the content users see. By expanding access to fact-checking to all users in the US, we’re empowering our users with the information they need to make informed decisions. And, we’re committed to fair and unbiased fact-checking that’s guided by our rules, and rooted in the principles of objectivity, transparency, and accountability.” <br><br>The company 1) encourages all their users to use the fact-checking system, and 2) is working on expanding the system to other countries.<br><br>I think this is great, I’ve always hated fact-checking, and I’ve also always hated how many sites just let misinformation sit there.