Twitter is relaunching a test feature that asks users to reconsider rude replies. If you try to post a reply that contains harmful or foul language, Twitter will display a notification that prompts you to revise it.
Keeping Content Clean on Twitter
Twitter is trying to make the platform a nicer place, all with a single notification that asks you to question an anger-fueled reply. The Twitter Support account announced that the platform is bringing back this experimental feature to users on iOS.
Say something in the moment you might regret? 😬 We’ve relaunched this experiment on iOS that asks you to review a reply that’s potentially harmful or offensive.
Think you’ve received a prompt by mistake? Share your feedback with us so we can improve. pic.twitter.com/t68az8vlYN
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) February 22, 2021
Twitter initially began testing this notification with a select number of users in May 2020, and later rolled out this experiment to users on all platforms in August. The platform only temporarily stopped the test to incorporate user feedback and improve the feature.
Now that the notification is back, those who have a habit of posting nasty replies will frequently see a notification that reads, “Want to review this before Tweeting? We’re asking people to review replies with potentially harmful or offensive language.” The prompt will even point out the exact words within the reply that Twitter finds offensive.
Users have three ways to reply to the prompt: Tweet, Edit, and Delete. If users want to poison the Twitterverse with toxic content, they can hit Tweet. Otherwise, they can opt to clean up the message or delete it entirely.
And of course, if Twitter wrongly flags a Tweet, users can always hit the link that reads, Did we get this wrong? to provide feedback. Keep in mind that this feature is currently only applicable to replies, not actual Tweets.
Since the start of the first test, the notification has underwent a design change. The prompt no longer contains Revise, Delete, and Send in a plain column—this has been swapped for a horizontal list of choices accompanied by a set of vibrant icons.
This isn’t the only time that Twitter has encouraged users to start putting a little more thought into their Tweets. In September 2020, Twitter began nudging users to read articles before Retweeting them. The platform has reportedly had success with this feature, which may be a good sign for its rude reply warning.
Will Twitter Become a Less Hostile Environment?
Lets face it; arguments on Twitter often get out of hand. As insults get flung across the Twitterverse, users face no repercussions unless there’s a violation of Twitter’s terms of service. If this warning ever becomes a permanent feature, hopefully it can deter toxic users from making hateful comments.