Read on Twitter
I REALLY hope there's solid internal research backing this design choice.
While I applaud the desire to create friction that discourages mindless retweets and, in theory, therefore slows the spread of disinfo, I'm worried about a concomitant increase in harassment.
Thread
1/ https://twitter.com/Twitter/status/1318900658217648128
While I applaud the desire to create friction that discourages mindless retweets and, in theory, therefore slows the spread of disinfo, I'm worried about a concomitant increase in harassment.
Thread
1/ https://twitter.com/Twitter/status/1318900658217648128
Don't get me wrong. I like quote tweets. I use them a lot. (See above.) They're great for providing context for a tweet. And they can promote fun, creative exchanges. I especially love the endless nested infinity mirror quote tweet https://twitter.com/Nate_Birkhead/status/1318289629322280968 2/
But quote tweets are also *a favorite tool of Twitter abusers and harassers.*
They make it easy to sic one's followers on someone, to encourage them to dogpile others. 3/
They make it easy to sic one's followers on someone, to encourage them to dogpile others. 3/
After all, the harasser doesn't have to say, "Please go after X." They just have to make an accusation, snark with just the right tone, etc. and the link to the target's Twitter account is right there. It's as simple as a click-through and reply. 4/
So while I applaud Twitter for thinking about how to slow the spread of disinfo in the weeks before the US elections, I'm worried that they may not have properly considered other potential harms, like harassment. 5/
In other words, I'm concerned that making the quote tweet more obvious & accessible in this polarized environment could offset any benefits gained from reducing mindless retweets. 6/
And I'm most concerned because we know that Twitter harassment is most commonly directed at members of marginalized communities, especially women of color. We also know that such abuse has only escalated during the pandemic. (Check out @GlitchUK_'s excellent work on this.) 7/
So I shudder to think that in the lead-up to one of the most consequential elections in US history, in the midst of a pandemic that has already had disproportionate impacts on communities of color, we might see Twitter harassment escalate further. 8/
I'm willing to be convinced that my concerns are unfounded--that disinfo will be reduced AND that harassment won't increase--*if there's good data.* But until then, my concerns will remain significant. 9/
