Twitter announces changes to clamp down on US election misinfo, like blocking retweets of misleading content from candidates and accounts with 100K+ followers

Move is latest escalation of anti-misinformation measures in run-up to presidential vote — Twitter will block retweets and …

Financial Times 2020-10-10 Hannah Murphy

Context & Ripple Effects

This is the third escalation in Twitter's pre-election crackdown. In September it expanded its election misinfo policies to cover false claims about results and incitement against the transfer of power; a week after this announcement it began prompting users before they retweet flagged posts. What changes here is the target: rather than nudging ordinary users, Twitter is cutting off the amplification path itself for candidates and accounts above 100K followers.

First-order effects

Candidates and 100K+ follower accounts can no longer rely on retweets to spread misleading election content, forcing them onto quote tweets or screenshots as their only viral routes.
Ordinary users lose the one-tap share button on flagged posts from these accounts, adding deliberate friction at the exact moment the platform's network effects would otherwise do their work.

Second-order effects

Rival platforms face pressure to match reach-limiting measures during the same news cycle or absorb accusations of laxer standards, since Twitter is now measuring enforcement by follower count rather than content alone.
Political campaigns and media operations must budget for degraded organic distribution, shifting spend toward formats Twitter has not restricted — a pricing effect on paid amplification that follows directly from the blocked channel.

Third-order effects

Twitter itself validated the friction approach when it later reported that warning prompts decreased quote retweets of mislabeled content by 29% (the like-warning rollout) and carried redesigned labels and 'prebunks' into the 2022 midterm plans — evidence that one-off election measures were hardening into standing product infrastructure.
If the pattern holds, platform governance shifts from post-hoc labeling toward structural limits on who can amplify what, making follower count and account class — not just content — the unit of moderation.

The trend: Platform election integrity is moving from labeling misleading content to throttling its distribution, with high-reach accounts becoming the primary enforcement target.

Discussion

Twitter Twitter on x
Additional steps we're taking ahead of the 2020 US Election
@noupside Renee DiResta on x
Lots of changes in here related to tackling the role of virality in misinformation. - Reducing recommendation of misleading content - Adding friction - Increased attention to “blue check” and influencer misinformation that recognizes their reach https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ..…
@nickpickles Nick Pickles on x
Additional steps we're taking ahead of the 2020 US Election and on election night - New prompts and more warnings on misleading Tweets; encouraging greater consideration before amplifying Tweets; adding context to Trends and reducing recommendations. https://blog.twitter.com/...
@kayvz Kayvon Beykpour on x
🧵 Thread 👇🏽 As we head into #Election2020, this morning we announced some important updates to our policy and to the product experience which you can read about in detail here: https://blog.twitter.com/...
@cwarzel Charlie Warzel on x
this is the kind of friction these platforms should all be adding into the design. (like i wrote y'day with Facebook...it's an admission that the current platform design, the one they've been using for over a decade, is broken) https://twitter.com/...
@yoyoel Yoel Roth on x
In the lead-up to #Election2020 in the US, we're introducing additional measures to protect the integrity of the conversation, including more overt warning messages on Tweets which violate our Civic Integrity Policy. Learn more: https://blog.twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/..…
@karissabe Karissa Bell on x
Twitter out with new rules ahead of the election: https://blog.twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@kateconger O...K on x
These are some of the biggest product changes I've seen from a social media company in response to election misinformation. Now the big question: Will it work? https://www.nytimes.com/...
@kremlintrolls KT Counter Intelligence on x
If @Twitter won't ban Trump's Twitter for repeated violations (like any other person would have been already), at least put his Tweets on a DELAY to combat his constant flow of political disinformation. ReTweet if you agree. https://www.wired.com/...
@repspeier Jackie Speier on x
A step in the right direction by Twitter for halting the spread of misinfo & disinfo. However, there's still more to do. Social media platforms, incl. Facebook, must take responsibility for enforcing their content policies, incl. those for threats of violence & hate speech. https…
@thebias_news @thebias_news on x
Twitter: “To determine the results of an election in the US, we require either an announcement from state election officials, or a public projection from at least two authoritative, national news outlets that make independent election calls.” https://blog.twitter.com/...
@mozilla @mozilla on x
This is important news from @twitter, but falls short of the biggest action that could help stop the spread of misinformation leading up to the US election. Join our call to #UnTrendTwitter: https://foundation.mozilla.org/ ... https://www.nytimes.com/...
@yaeleisenstat Yael Eisenstat on x
This idea from @kreissdaniel and @ananny is interesting & takes it a step further. May seem controversial to some, but it gets at my same core question: Is a world “optimized for frictionless virality” antithetical to a healthy public square and democracy? https://www.wired.com/.…
@davidakaye David Kaye on x
the moment calls for aggressive action that is also thoughtful, so as not to undermine access to public debate and information. kudos to @Policy @nickpickles @vijaya @jack & others for making this effort. https://twitter.com/...
@jgreenblattadl Jonathan Greenblatt on x
Good to see @Twitter taking steps to combat political misinformation, incl. lies, premature declarations of victory & calls for violence at both the policy & product levels. Social media companies have an important role to play in protecting our democracy. https://www.washingtonp…
@joncoopertweets Jon Cooper on x
In an effort to curb election abuse, Twitter is banning calls for polling disruptions and early victory declarations https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@rembert Rembert Browne on x
people move places in the right direction shout out to the people https://twitter.com/...
@nmsecofstate @nmsecofstate on x
This is a great move by @TwitterGov & a great reminder to both the press & public that election results are NEVER official on election night & counting of ballots ALWAYS takes place beyond Election Day. https://www.axios.com/... #nmpol #TrustedInfo2020
@yaeleisenstat Yael Eisenstat on x
Interesting move by ⁦@Twitter!⁩ Hope we can study the effect beyond the election in whether building in friction can create a healthier info ecosystem. My TEDtalk thesis was about this, the dangers of a “world optimized for frictional virality.” 1/2 https://techcrunch.com/...
@giladedelman Gilad Edelman on x
“Platforms such as Twitter and Facebook already enforce these content guidelines, they just do so often ineffectively, long after the violation, and with no public oversight.” Read @kreissdaniel and @ananny on the need for social media tape delay. https://www.wired.com/...
@cernovich @cernovich on x
Twitter sees the real data. They know it's going to be close. Real close, and they don't want you talking about *that* on election night. https://twitter.com/...
@lindsmccallum Lindsay McCallum Rmy on x
Twitter will flag premature claims about who won the 2020 election, among other product and policy changes ahead of the #Election2020 https://www.axios.com/...
@seanmdav Sean Davis on x
Had Twitter been around on Election Night in 2000, it would've censored you if you noted that Bush won in Florida (and in fact never trailed in the state at any point) despite multiple networks falsely calling the state for Gore. https://twitter.com/...
@green_footballs Charles Johnson on x
They should leave the recommendations off. Algorithmic recommendations are one of the main reasons why social media has been so destructive; they help spread conspiracy theories and extremism way beyond their normal reach. https://twitter.com/...
@saketgokhale Saket Gokhale on x
Some of the changes from 20th: - Users to get a timeout when they hit the button to retweet a post from another account. They'll get a prompt to add context or info & QT - On their TLs, users will see only content from accounts they follow and ads. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@jayrosen_nyu Jay Rosen on x
Twitter, the company, said it will disable the system that suggests posts on the basis of someone's interests and the activity of accounts they follow. A recognition that algorithmic systems can create misinformation cascades. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@zilchfox Zilch on x
To add, there is a full blog post about it here. Twitters wording is indeed absolutely confusing, as later on it does make it seem like it will apply to all tweets beginning Oct 20th, but it does state it's election-related: https://blog.twitter.com/...
@hankgreen Hank Green on x
This all strikes me as intelligent and good....which is...new. https://twitter.com/...
@mcfaul Michael McFaul on x
Have to admire @twitter for their innovation and leadership in helping the U.S. conduct a free and fair election. Bravo @nickpickles @jack . https://twitter.com/...
@emilybell Emily Bell on x
Whilst we are talking about simple fixes for big problems, this by @ananny and @kreissdaniel is predictably excellent and on the money. Great reasoning for delaying political posts and nice historical context https://www.wired.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@derella Matt Derella on x
Twitter is taking additional measures to prepare for #Election2020 Also, please vote. https://twitter.com/...
@mckaycoppins McKay Coppins on x
These are pretty significant changes! https://twitter.com/...
@charliespiering Charlie Spiering on x
Twitter levels the “Trump” rule https://blog.twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@noupside Renee DiResta on x
Reddit has time-outs for new accounts to prevent manipulative/spam behavior. Some communities have approval mods. Most platforms didn't anticipate large-following authenticated blue-checks would become chronic pushers of false and misleading stories, but here we are. https://twit…
@exjon Jon Gabriel on x
Dear Twitter: It's a lot less complicated to just allow free speech. And you'd save big money by eliminating your hall-monitor employees. https://blog.twitter.com/...
@koush Anarchist Jurisdiction Ceo on x
Twitter is turning off its recommendation algorithm and adding friction to retweets until election season ends. This is the first time I've seen a social media company do something that would be counterproductive to growth for the health of the community. https://www.nytimes.com/…
@wired @wired on x
Opinion: If Twitter is serious about its stated goal of “protecting the integrity of the election conversation,” it should consider putting a time delay on the tweets of Donald Trump and other political elites https://www.wired.com/...
@stengel Richard Stengel on x
The number one action here is that Twitter will not permit anyone to prematurely and falsely call the election either nationally or locally. That's a big deal. All reputable information sources should take the same pledge. And #VOTE https://www.axios.com/...
@necolas Nicolas on x
Twitter is temporarily disabling algorithmic recommendations to combat misinformation 👍 Indicates these systems are fundamentally broken (on all platforms) and shouldn't be used. If it's not election meddling it's conspiracy theories, anti-vax, climate denial, etc. But $$$ https:…
@emilybell Emily Bell on x
Define ‘work’ https://twitter.com/...
@propornot PropOrNot ID on x
Thank you @Twitter/@Policy for trying these major reforms on your platform to counter disinformation/propaganda! These changes to how Twitter works are long overdue, but much better late than never. Bravo! https://twitter.com/...
@shiraovide Shira Ovide on x
A higher bar for influential people is genuinely genuinely smart. https://blog.twitter.com/... Why should your uncle with 5 Twitter followers be subject to the same rules as a celebrity with millions of followers? https://twitter.com/...
@kevinroose Kevin Roose on x
These are big, substantive changes that seem thoughtfully designed. Turning off algorithmic recommendations, in particular, is a step no other platform has taken. https://twitter.com/...
@twittersupport @twittersupport on x
Our goal is to continue to provide access to critical information and encourage participation in the conversation during #Election2020. For more details on these updates: https://blog.twitter.com/...
@wongmjane Jane Manchun Wong on x
tweeted 2 days before announcement https://blog.twitter.com/...
@vijaya Vijaya Gadde on x
Today, we're announcing additional, significant product and enforcement updates that will increase context and encourage more thoughtful consideration before Tweets are amplified. https://blog.twitter.com/...
@brianstelter Brian Stelter on x
Twitter just announced “additional steps we're taking ahead of the 2020 US Election” - labeling tweets that falsely claim a win for any candidate, etc. I'll be interviewing Twitter comms chief @BBorrman on Sunday's @ReliableSources. Q's for him? https://blog.twitter.com/...
@facttank @facttank on x
Three-quarters of U.S. adults say technology companies have a responsibility to prevent the misuse of their platforms to influence the 2020 presidential election, but only around a quarter say they are very or somewhat confident in these firms to do so: https://www.pewresearch.or…
@scottwamplerbmd @scottwamplerbmd on x
“When you try to share a tweet, you'll be asked to add your own views first in a quote tweet.” Great so we're gonna ramp up the use of the dreaded 👇👇👇👇 This will accomplish fuck-all. https://twitter.com/...
@brendannyhan Brendan Nyhan on x
Great changes. Why not keep them after Election Day? https://twitter.com/...
@harrymccracken Harry McCracken on x
In retrospect, the whole concept of virality may have been a mistake. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@neeratanden Neera -Vote Early- Tanden on x
These are important steps. Thank you @jack and @Twitter https://twitter.com/...
@mistergeezy Gregarious on x
No wonder I was seeing this new feature. https://twitter.com/...
@steventdennis Steven Dennis on x
All on here should read this thread: https://twitter.com/...
@jamesrbuk James Ball on x
“Oh good, more quote tweets,” said no-one. https://twitter.com/...
@carljackmiller Carl Miller on x
This is big - Twitter announces a raft of features with an intention that might be a first for a tech giant. They're aiming to slow *down* the way that some info flows through their platform, and *lessen* the role of automated curation https://www.nytimes.com/...
@larakate Lara Cohen on x
super proud of the bold work and thinking here. from banning political ads over a year ago, to being the first with misinformation labels, Twitter has led the industry in taking thoughtful action. we know we have tremendous responsibility and much, much work yet to do. https://tw…
@sarafischer Sara Fischer on x
The steps announced today will change user experience leading up to the Election. There will be a lot more interventions by the platform to push users to pause and consider what they tweet before they do. There will be more labels and likely more removals. https://www.axios.com/.…
@jason_kint Jason Kint on x
Hey 👋🏽 everyone. Hey 👋🏽 advertisers. Twitter actually cares about democracy, toxic garbage and being a weapon for the erosion of public trust. Facebook is a terrible, terrible company and this week's conclusion they are a monopoly backs up their lack of needing to follow suit. ht…
@tribelaw Laurence Tribe on x
Good move by #Twitter https://www.axios.com/...
@karissabe Karissa Bell on x
They're also cleaning up trends (a little) by changing “for you” trends to only include topics with “context” and (finally!) taking the “recommendations” out of your timeline that showed tweets from people you don't follow https://twitter.com/...
@karissabe Karissa Bell on x
Twitter is also adding new labels when a tweet is “disputed” and making it harder for tweets to go viral. Retweets will automatically direct people to quote tweet instead to “encourage conversation” https://twitter.com/...
@gartenberg Michael Gartenberg on x
Just me or does anyone else feel like they're on the titanic and the iceberg is directly ahead on November 3d. https://twitter.com/...
@joycewhitevance Joyce Alene on x
Blocking premature victory announcements is an important step. Many more of us are voting by mail & exit polls are based on how folks in person vote, so there could be a “red mirage” on election night. All votes should be counted before races are called. https://www.washingtonpos…

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