Twitter warns it will not be able to remove every harmful tweet on Covid-19

Tech giants like Facebook, Google and Twitter have ramped up efforts to help stop the spread of misinformation on coronavirus. Twitter has now clarified that it will not be able to remove every false coronavirus tweet on its platform, and users will most likely see them often.

Twitter said its content moderators aren't available in full strength due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Twitter is currently prioritising tweets based on the nature of the content as those who have "the highest potential of directly causing physical harm". Twitter also said it will allow official government accounts to take part in the conversation around coronavirus. But if any tweet from official sources has "clear incitement to take a harmful physical action" will not be allowed on the platform.

The micro-blogging site has also urged users to remove tweets related to Covid-19 that may contain misinformation. Twitter has laid out criteria for tweets that should be removed by users. These include:

-Denial of expert guidance

-Encouragement to use fake or ineffective treatments, preventions, and diagnostic techniques

-Misleading content purporting to be from experts or authorities

"We're keeping our enforcement guidance under close review and are consulting with medical professionals on any update we may need to make as things continue to evolve. We will keep you updated on our progress," Twitter said.

Twitter has been updating its blog with new developments on the Covid-19 situation. It has also resorted to using more machine learning and automation on checking tweets.