Twitter will prompt Android users to open the article before retweeting and sharing it on the timeline

Just a day after unveiling its Fleets feature in India, Twitter, introduced a feature globally that aims to control the spreading of fake news on the platform. The microblogging website announced that it will now prompt users to open the article first before hitting that retweet button. It has also been mentioned that this feature, for now, will be limited to Android and might reach to iOS and other platforms at a later date.

This is just one of the ways by Twitter to make users more aware of what is being share on the platform. The company recently started fact checking more number of tweets that specifically talk about 5G connectivity and Covid-19 pandemic in a single post, using a label. This

The label is a clickable one that leads the user straight to fact-checking organisations and government agencies who have debunked the theory. The label is titled ‘Get the facts about Covid-19’.

“Last month, we announced that we are introducing new labels and warning messages to provide additional context and information on some Tweets containing disputed or misleading information related to Covid-19,” the firm confirmed in a statement to Business Insider. It was added that the microblogging website will likely remove most of those tweets that include “a call to action that could potentially cause harm”.

This move was taken because of a rumour that spread back in April and resulted in several 5G towers being set alight. As per rumours, 5G wireless networks were apparently carrying Covid-19 virus to more number of people, which later turned out to be bizarre and false news. Apple and Google had to step in to get it right and this was also confirmed by the official Twitter handle of the Government of India.