Business

Twitter to introduce bot-identifying function

Automated accounts useful, but can be used to spread propaganda, disinformation

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 18 Dec 2020 1:10PM

Twitter to introduce bot-identifying function
Twitter is planning to build a new account type to distinguish between automated accounts and human-run accounts to make it easier for people to know what’s a bot and what’s not. – Pixabay pic, December 18, 2020

WASHINGTON – Twitter has announced on its blog that it will introduce next year a new function to allow users to distinguish between man-run and automated accounts, reported Sputnik news agency.

“In 2021, we’re planning to build a new account type to distinguish automated accounts from human-run accounts to make it easier for people to know what’s a bot and what’s not," the company said yesterday.

Accounts that post to Twitter automatically, called bots, can be used for sharing useful emergency notifications, but may also be a tool for propaganda and disinformation.

Twitter said it will also introduce next year an option whether to preserve so-called “memorial accounts” i.e. accounts of deceased users. – Bernama, December 18, 2020

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