Twitter today is introducing a new feature that will allow accounts to self-identify as bots by adding a label to their profile. This feature is designed to help people better differentiate between automated accounts \u2014 like bots that retweet the news, public service announcements or other updates \u2014 from those operated by humans. It\u2019s not, however, designed to help users identify the \u201cbad bots,\u201d which are those that pose as people, often to spread misinformation or spam.<\/p>\n
The company has been contemplating labeling bots for years.<\/p>\n
\n3 guiding principles for CEOs who post on Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
In 2018, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was asked<\/a> during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing whether he believed users had a \u201cright to know\u201d if they were speaking to a bot or a human on Twitter\u2019s platform. He agreed that Twitter should add more context to tweets and was considering identifying bots, to the extent that it could. However, Dorsey also pointed out it would be more difficult to identify bots that were using scripting to give the appearance of being a human, compared with those that were leveraging Twitter\u2019s API.<\/p>\n
Last year, the company finally solidified those plans<\/a>, saying it would later introduce new features that would allow users to be able to distinguish between human-run accounts and those that were automated. When Twitter launched<\/a> its account verification system in May, it reminded users that it would soon offer other ways to identify different types of accounts beyond the long-coveted blue badge \u2014 such as labels for bots.<\/p>\n\n
Image Credits:<\/strong> Twitter<\/p>\n
Today, Twitter says its new \u201cAutomated Account\u201d label that identifies \u201cgood bots\u201d will be made available to over 500 Developer Accounts. This group will test the feature and provide feedback before it\u2019s opened up more broadly to all Twitter developers. As it\u2019s still a test for the time being, the label won\u2019t be required.<\/p>\n
However, when Twitter updated its Developer Policy<\/a> last year, it did ask developers to indicate in their account profile or bio whether the account was a bot, what the account is and who\u2019s behind it. These account labels would allow developers an easier way to comply with that policy rather than having to handwrite this information in their bio.<\/p>\n
Twitter tells TechCrunch that based on what it learns during this experiment, it may decide to make adopting the label a requirement for all developers who run automated accounts in the future, once it becomes broadly available.<\/p>\n
\nImage Credits:<\/strong> Twitter<\/p>\n
To be clear, Twitter doesn\u2019t have any problem with those who run good bots, as it understands how automation can allow accounts to update people with helpful, relevant or, sometimes, just fun information. The company even celebrated a few of its favorite bots when announcing today\u2019s developer news, including the public service account @earthquakesSF<\/a>; a bot offering COVID-19 updates, @vax_progress<\/a>; a bot that offers an ongoing breakdown of the last 100 bills introduced in Congress, @last100bills<\/a>; an accessibility-focused bot, @AltTxtReminder<\/a>; and others that just add value in their own way, like @met_drawings<\/a>, which shares public domain works from The Met\u2019s Drawings Prints department, or the goofy @EmojiMashupBot<\/a>, among others.<\/p>\n
All these will be a part of the initial test group.<\/p>\n
Twitter is also less concerned with how consumers may use automation to update their own accounts, perhaps by using third-party tools like IFTTT to post links or other content.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are ultimately responsible for the actions taken with your account, or by applications associated with your account,\u201d Twitter\u2019s policy<\/a> advises Twitter users. \u201cBefore authorizing a third-party application to access or use your account, make sure you\u2019ve thoroughly investigated the application and understand what it will do.\u201d It also adds that Twitter users that adopt automation will still need to adhere to Twitter\u2019s guidelines.<\/p>\n
The company has been on a tear lately in terms of rolling out new features. Just this week, it has launched Communities<\/a>, tests of emoji reactions<\/a>, support for full-width photos and videos<\/a> and a way to \u201csoft block\u201d followers<\/a>, among other things.<\/p>\n
Twitter has not said how long the test would run before the Automated Account labels are rolled out more broadly.<\/p>\n
Article source: http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/~r\/techcrunch\/social\/~3\/5pVMwZLy21w\/<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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