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posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday May 27 2020, @12:31PM   Printer-friendly
from the fact-checking dept.

Twitter adds label to Trump's misleading tweets about mail-in ballots:

Twitter said Tuesday that it added a label to President Donald Trump's tweets for containing "potentially misleading information about voting processes," a rare move that shows the social media company is taking a tougher stance against misinformation.

It's the first time that Twitter has displayed a label on Trump's tweets.

On Tuesday, Trump tweeted that "There is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-in-Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent," a claim that has been debunked by fact-checkers and news organizations. He continues his remarks in another tweet, stating that it will be a "Rigged election."

A label appears under both tweets that states "Get the facts about mail-in ballots." Clicking on the warning notice directs users to a page that states that fact-checkers say there isn't any evidence that mail-in ballots are linked to voter fraud. Trump also falsely states in the tweets that California will send mail-in ballots to "anyone living in the state, no matter who they are or how they got there" when only registered voters will receive ballots. States such as Oregon, Utah and Washington have long conducted elections by mail only, while states such as Nebraska allow any voter to request a ballot and vote by mail without having to provide a reason.

A Twitter spokeswoman said in a statement that the decision is in line with how the company approaches misinformation on its site, which includes adding warning notices and labels depending on the likelihood and severity of harm a tweet could cause.

Twitter's actions against Trump's tweets will also likely increase tensions between the company and conservative users, who allege that the social network suppresses their speech. Twitter has repeatedly denied those allegations. Earlier this month, Trump tweeted that the "Radical Left" is in control of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google and said his administration is working on a solution.

In two tweets, Trump accused Twitter of interfering in the 2020 US presidential election.

"Twitter is completely stifling FREE SPEECH, and I, as President, will not allow it to happen!," he tweeted.

Also at BBC News, Ars Technica, MIT Technology Review


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  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by Tokolosh on Wednesday May 27 2020, @02:16PM (4 children)

    by Tokolosh (585) on Wednesday May 27 2020, @02:16PM (#999639)

    "The policy of letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend is designed to promote the flourishing of the arts and the progress of science". -- Mao Zedong

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +2  
       Interesting=2, Total=2
    Extra 'Interesting' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   4  
  • (Score: 3, Touché) by Aegis on Wednesday May 27 2020, @02:40PM (1 child)

    by Aegis (6714) on Wednesday May 27 2020, @02:40PM (#999662)

    Better prohibit Twitter from publishing fact checks, then ,eh? Gotta trim those flowers to protect Trump.

    • (Score: 2) by Tokolosh on Sunday May 31 2020, @03:49PM

      by Tokolosh (585) on Sunday May 31 2020, @03:49PM (#1001392)

      I save this part for later. From Wikipedia: "The first part of the phrase is often remembered as "let a hundred flowers bloom". It is used to refer to an orchestrated campaign to flush out dissidents by encouraging them to show themselves as critical of the regime, and then subsequently imprison them."

  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 27 2020, @03:04PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 27 2020, @03:04PM (#999677)

    You misunderstand, the blooming flowers were on the graves of those who died thanks to famine, forced labor camps and death quotas.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 27 2020, @07:20PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 27 2020, @07:20PM (#999863)

      You forgot death panels, and facemasks.