Twitter finally tests edit button

Twitter's long-awaited "edit" button finally gets tested

Twitter confirmed it on a Thursday morning, when some users reported seeing edited tweets in their feeds during testing. The anticipated "Edit Tweet" button is now under trial, as the social media giant stated, "It's happening, and it'll go great."

The internal testing of edited tweets will be extended to Twitter Blue subscription service users in this month, announced the company in its blog post on the same day. Twitter mentioned that the test would first be implemented for Twitter Blue users in New Zealand, followed by Australia, Canada, and the United States. Even non-test group users can view edited tweets on the platform.

Twitter had revealed in April that it had been testing the edit functionality for a year and would make it accessible to Twitter Blue subscribers in a few months, according to the blog post. This announcement happened on the day Twitter announced Elon Musk's inclusion into its board, and after he asked his followers about an editing feature on Twitter. When Twitter confessed that the edit function was under development, it added, "No, it wasn't a result of a poll."

(Musk later withdrew from the board proposal, agreed on a full purchase of Twitter, attempted to cancel the deal, and is now facing a lawsuit by Twitter to fulfill the purchase agreement.)

While many have been advocating for an edit button on Twitter since years (facebook and Instagram provide such a feature), other concerns have surfaced regarding the implications of such a feature. Security experts question, for instance, what would happen if an innocuous tweet goes viral and then gets edited to contain harassment, misinformation, or falsehoods, thereby expanding the reach of a tweet that could otherwise not have gone viral.

During the test phase, tweets can be edited within 30 minutes of their first publication, shared Twitter's blog post on Thursday. Edited tweets come with specific symbols, descriptions, and time stamps to indicate changes. Users can click on the "edit history" of a tweet to view previous versions.

Twitter plans to test the edit functionality with limited circles to gather feedback and identify potential problems, as mentioned in the blog post.

(Illustration: People standing outside a bar along an empty street at night in Hong Kong, China on October 5, 2023)

Further Reading:

The potential introduction of an edit button on Twitter may alter how users interact with content, raising concerns about possible misuse and propagation of disinformation. Some tech experts argue that enabling Tweets to be edited could exacerbate harmless content into damaging or misleading information, amplifying its reach.

With the rollout of the edit button for Twitter Blue users, businesses and brands may need to reassess their content strategy in anticipation of potential changes in user engagement and expectations.

Source:

Enrichment Data:

Twitter's test of the "edit" button announcement in September 2022, initially available to select users and then to all Twitter Blue subscribers, has had various implications for its user base and potential misuse of content:

1. User Feedback and Reaction:
2. Elon Musk, who obtained a majority stake in Twitter, has actively solicited feedback from users about the edit button. A Twitter poll, conducted by Musk, showed that over 70% of respondents wanted an edit button, indicating strong user interest in this feature[2].
3. Potential Misuse:
4. The inclusion of an edit button could potentially increase the risk of misinformation and misuse of content. If users can edit their tweets, it might enable them to alter the context or content of a tweet that has already been shared, potentially propagating misinformation or altering the original intent of the post[1].
5. However, Twitter has implemented measures to mitigate this risk, including requiring users to disclose when they have edited a tweet. This transparency could help maintain trust on the platform by providing a clear record of changes made to a tweet[2].
6. Content Moderation Challenges:
7. The ability to edit tweets could complicate content moderation efforts. It might become challenging for moderators to track and address misinformation or hate speech, as edited tweets could be reposted or reshared with altered content[3].
8. Impact on Trust and Safety:
9. The implementation of the edit button has been a part of broader changes under Elon Musk's ownership, which have been criticized for increasing hate speech and disinformation. The reliance on automation for content moderation has been faced criticism for its ineffectiveness in addressing these issues[3].

In conclusion, while the edit button has been a highly demanded feature by users, its introduction also raises concerns about the potential for misuse and the challenges it poses for content moderation and maintaining trust on the platform.