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Twitter Announces an Expansion of its ‘Birdwatch’ Crowd-Sourced Fact-Checking Program

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Twitter Announces an Expansion of its ‘Birdwatch’ Crowd-Sourced Fact-Checking Program

This seems… concerning.

Today, just weeks out from the US midterms, Twitter has announced that it will expand its experimental Birdwatch crowd-sourced fact-checking program, as a means to combat misinformation throughout the app.

As you can see in these examples, Birdwatch, which Twitter first launched early last year, enables participants to highlight information in Tweets that they believe is misleading, and add notes to provide additional context.

Anyone can apply to become a Birdwatch contributor (where it’s available), so long as you have a verified phone number, no recent Twitter rule violations, and a minimum of six months using the app. The process then cross-matches the contributions from Birdwatch participants to highlight the notes rated as most helpful, based on a range of qualifiers, with all Birdwatch notes available for anyone to see.

Which is an interesting approach to content moderation, putting more onus on the user community to dictate what is and is not acceptable, as opposed to internal moderation teams making that call.

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And it works. Twitter says that, according to its research, people who see a Birdwatch note are 20-40% less likely to agree with the substance of a potentially misleading Tweet than someone who sees the Tweet alone. Twitter also says that people who see Birdwatch notes are 15-35% less likely to Like or Retweet a Tweet than someone who sees the Tweet alone.

So, it’s having an impact, and it could be a good way to dispel misinformation, even if it does seem a little risky putting such rulings into the hands of users.

Either way, Twitter’s confident enough to move ahead with the experiment:

“We’ll start by adding larger groups of eligible applicants to the pilot on a more frequent basis. The process will be adjusted as needed as we closely monitor whether this change has any impact on either the quality or the frequency of contributions.”

So more applicants will now be accepted into the Birdwatch program, which will expand the pool of citizen fact-checkers.   

“The visibility of notes on public Tweets will also be increasing. In the coming weeks, more people using Twitter in the US will start to see notes on Tweets that Birdwatch contributors have collectively identified as Helpful. Importantly, this doesn’t mean you’ll start seeing notes on every Tweet, simply that a larger number of you will start seeing notes that have been rated Helpful.”

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Twitter also says that it’s rolling out an updated Birdwatch onboarding process, which will better incentivize contributors to write and rate notes in a thoughtful way.

New Birdwatch contributors who have met the eligibility criteria will begin with an initial Rating Impact score of zero, which they can increase by consistently rating other contributors’ notes and reliably identifying those that are Helpful and Not Helpful. Once a contributor’s score has risen to five, they can start writing notes. Contributors can further increase their Writing and Rating Impact scores by both writing Helpful notes and continuing to rate notes written by others.”

Twitter Birdwatch

More fact-checkers, more notes highlighted, and more incentive for contributors to contribute to the quality of the ratings. It’s a significant expansion of the program, which, again, has shown promising results thus far.

But then again, there is also this:

Twitter’s crowdsourced fact-checking program, Birdwatch, accepted a QAnon supporter account into its ranks, according to a leaked internal audit. To make matters even worse, Twitter had been warned by experts ahead of time that this exact scenario might be possible.”

As reported by Input Magazine, there may still be some potential flaws in Twitter’s Birdwatch system, with this incident highlighted by former Twitter security advisor Peiter Zatko in his recent revelations about flaws in Twitter’s security processes.

The individual in question was removed from the program before contributing notes, so any potential conflict was avoided in this instance. But Zatko has warned that there are significant flaws in this approach, which could be exploited by those seeking to infiltrate the system.

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An expansion of the Birdwatch program – essentially upping the stakes for those that may be looking for ways to influence the conversation – will make it an even bigger target, and as the system becomes more prominent, that will make bad actors pay even more attention to the option as a vector for influence.

That’s not to say that Twitter can’t, or won’t, counter any attempts at misuse. But it is an important element to watch – and ahead of the US midterms, when political attention will be higher than ever, it could be a risky bet to expand the program at this stage.

It does seem like a well-conceived system. But even seemingly well-thought-out programs have been impacted by bad actors in the past.



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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.

The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.

According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.

Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.

Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.

The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.

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This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.

Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.

As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?

Only time will tell.

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.

When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.

“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.

Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.

“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.” 

“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.

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“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.

Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.

As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.

That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.

Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.

That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.

Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.

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Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.

We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.

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