Twitter expands read before tweeting prompt globally

After finding out the tests conducted for this prompt led to more reading and increased informed tweeting, the read an article before tweeting prompt is now being rolled out on a larger scale on Twitter.

Twitter claims users open articles 40% more often after seeing the prompt, people opening articles before retweeting increased by 33%, and some users ended up not sharing the article after opening it. Consequently, the feature would also contribute to increasing page views on articles by publisher websites.

The platform will make the prompt smaller after it's seen once, and is also working on launching the prompt globally.

Along with being a social platform, Twitter is also a hub of information where several journalists, publishers, and general users share website links to articles. Many a times an article is only shared on the basis of its headline.

Also Read: Twitter tests array of new features

It could be a retweet of an article shared by a publisher, or an independent journalist that a user trusts. In such cases, the user increases the chances of misinformation spreading, as they have not read the whole piece themselves to judge its credibility or fact-check it themselves.

More often than not, several publishers also use clickbait headlines, and the article turns out to be different than the headline, or it could be a mere incident of the headline not containing the whole information, and the news not being than what it was perceived to be.

The prompt is a significant addition to the platform, and holds the potential to increase informed tweeting, and may also curb the spread of misinformation, that has real-world consequences.

Twitter recently also addressed harmful content on the platform shared via links and outlined categories of links on which actions would be enforced to limit it’s spread.