Birdwatch
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About
Birdwatch is a community-driven fact-checking feature introduced by Twitter in January 2021. The feature provides Twitter users an option to add context to tweets which they suspect might be containing misleading information.
History
On January 25th, 2021, Twitter introduced Birdwatch,[1] a crowdsource-based fact-checking feature that provides users options to add notes to tweets they deem containing misleading or harmful information. On the same day, Twitter[2] posted a video explaining the new feature (shown below).
🐦 Today we’re introducing @Birdwatch, a community-driven approach to addressing misleading information. And we want your help. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/aYJILZ7iKB
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) January 25, 2021
In a separate tweet,[3] Birdwatch invited users to join Birdwatch pilot,[4] initially eligible only for users in the United States.
Features
User who enabled Birdwatch can contribute by flagging tweets as misleading, with available options including "factual error," "altered photo or video" "joke or satire that might be misinterpreted as a fact" among others. Additionally, the users report whether they think the tweet in question may cause little or considerable harm and may provide the evidence supporting the correct information.
Other Birdwatch participants rate the submitted notes, with proper submissions then being added to the tweet.[2][4]
Highlights
The tweet[2] introducing the feature, posted by @TwitteSupport on January 25th, 2021, received over 5,100 retweets, 22,600 quote retweets and 16,700 likes in one day.
In the following hours, multiple Twitter users quote retweeted the post, commenting on the feature. In many viral posts, users expressed concerns that the feature would be misused; for example, a January 25th, 2021, tweet[5] by @morganisawizard received over 1,500 retweets and 9,800 likes in one day (shown below, left).
In late January 2021, multiple news outlets reported on Birdwatch, including articles by The Verge[6] and NBC News.[7]
Search Interest
External References
[2] Twitter – @TwitterSupport
[3] Twitter – @birdwatch
[4] Twitter – Join the Birdwatch Pilot
[5] Twitter – @morganisawizard
[6] The Verge – Twitter launches Birdwatch, a fact-checking program intended to fight misinformation
[7] NBC News – Twitter launches 'Birdwatch,' a forum to combat misinformation
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