Twitter, the widely used social media platform, has announced a policy update that will permit freedom of speech while imposing limitations on “freedom of reach.” The new approach involves restricting the visibility of certain tweets that breach its guidelines.
The visibility filter will first be implemented for tweets that violate the platform’s rules regarding hateful conduct and will be extended to other content categories in the future.
The company emphasized that users have the right to share their opinions and ideas without facing censorship, asserting that maintaining user safety from rule-breaking content is paramount.
“We hold the view that our responsibility includes ensuring user safety from content that goes against our rules. Our commitment to free expression is built on the principle of freedom of speech, not freedom of reach. This enforcement philosophy stipulates that where necessary, we will limit the visibility of tweets that do not comply with our policies, making them less discoverable,” Twitter stated.
A sample screenshot included with the announcement illustrated how tweets that potentially violate the rules regarding hateful conduct may be subject to visibility restrictions.
“This visibility filtering, a form of reach limitation, is an existing enforcement measure that enables us to transcend the simple binary approach of either allowing or removing content. However, like many other social media platforms, we have not always been transparent about when these actions are taken,” the company added.
Furthermore, Twitter affirmed that it will refrain from placing advertisements alongside content that falls under the new visibility label.
“In the near future, we will introduce publicly visible labels for tweets that are identified as possibly violating our policies, informing users that their visibility has been limited,” said the microblogging service.
Authors of affected tweets will have the opportunity to provide feedback regarding the labels if they believe their tweet’s visibility has been inaccurately restricted.
However, the company noted that submitting feedback does not guarantee a response or restoration of the tweet’s reach. They are working toward enabling users to appeal such decisions in the future.
