Twitter updates happen constantly, but their latest is one of the most controversial yet. Though Twitter users are confined to only 280 characters, that doesn’t stop them from speaking their minds and saying exactly how they feel. Sometimes, however, those thoughts aren’t necessarily considered to be PG by the Internet’s standards. While Twitter wants to remain as a forum where people can exercise their right to free speech, they realize that some people might find it triggering or hurtful. As per Twitter:

As per Twitter:

“A critical function of our service is providing a place where people can openly and publicly respond to their leaders and hold them accountable. With this in mind, there are certain cases where it may be in the public’s interest to have access to certain Tweets, even if they would otherwise be in violation of our rules. On the rare occasions when this happens, we’ll place a notice – a screen you have to click or tap through before you see the Tweet – to provide additional context and clarity. We’ll also take steps to make sure the Tweet is not algorithmically elevated on our service, to strike the right balance between enabling free expression, fostering accountability, and reducing the potential harm caused by these Tweets.”

While everyone has the capability to tweet whatever they want, this new update will apply specifically to users who represent a government official, be running for public office, or be considered for a government position (i.e., next in line, awaiting confirmation, named successor to an appointed position); have more than 100,000 followers; and be verified. There are qualifications for Twitter’s new tap-through screens. 

That being said, even though only certain people will get these screens, if a tweet is considered to be threatening violence to someone or some people, it will be removed outright. Though Twitter respects its users’ rights to the First Amendment, it realizes that not everything will be considered safe or acceptable, and it will address the situation head on and take action if need be. 

Facebook Updates

The social media giant known as Facebook will have an entirely new and independent board of content review board, meaning they would provide an updated framework for platform posting regulations, and a new way for users to appeal those decisions.

The three main factors behind choosing this new board, as per Facebook’s original conversations, consist of independence, selection, and diversity. For independence, they simply mean that they need an outsider (someone or some group not related directly to Facebook) t0 help make decisions. For selection, this means that the board will have a more specific system for choosing what cases do and don’t get reviewed and ultimately their different outcomes. For diversity, the board needs to be “as diverse as the many people on Facebook and Instagram.” We live in a world with all sorts of different people, so Facebook believes that their board should reflect that. 

Facebook eventually wants to condense these requirements into a 40-or-so-person group, which will oversee controversial issues that need to be reviewed. This will help the integrity of the platform and hopefully keep Facebook from undergoing as much scrutiny as they have been privy to in the past. This could also help Facebook expand to other regions, for if they lessen the amount of security breaches, other governments might allow the use of the network.

Though this might not be the biggest or flashiest update, it’s certainly important and one that carries a lot of weight and importance.