Twitter has introduced a new way of presenting tweets on your timeline. It’s based on an idea called “Freedom of Speech, not Freedom of Reach,” which is not a new rule but just more clarity on an old one.
The company said its goal at Twitter 2.0 is to support and safeguard the public conversation. Last month, Twitter launched ‘Verified Organizations’ worldwide.
Twitter’s Philosophy on Freedom of Speech and Reach
Twitter believes that its users should be able to express their opinions and ideas without censorship. However, it is also their responsibility to ensure that users are safe from content that violates their policies.
To achieve this, Twitter follows a philosophy called “Freedom of Speech, not Freedom of Reach,” where they restrict the reach of tweets that violate their policies by making them less discoverable.
Transparency in Enforcement Actions in Twitter
Twitter’s approach to restricting the reach of tweets allows them to move beyond the traditional approach of content moderation. However, they haven’t been transparent about this in the past. To address this issue, Twitter has announced that they will add publicly visible labels to tweets that violate their policies and limit their visibility.
The labels will exhibit the specific policy that the tweet has violated and will be perceptible to not only the author of the tweet but also other users on the platform. Additionally, Twitter will not place ads adjacent to labeled content. Authors can submit feedback on the label, but it does not guarantee a response or a restored reach.
Twitter’s Commitment to Safety
Twitter plans to expand the application of these labels to other policy areas in the future. The company says that it is committed to keeping the platform safe for conversation by removing illegal content and suspending bad actors.
Announcing the update, Twitter, said:
We want Twitter 2.0 to be a place where people can share their views and ideas freely and safely. That’s why we follow Freedom of Speech, not Freedom of Reach – a principle that limits the visibility of Tweets that break our Rules. Today, we’re happy to announce a new way of enforcing our policies that reflects this principle and shows our dedication to transparency.