Twitter begins labeling tweets that link to Russian state-affiliated media

Twitter (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

Twitter has confirmed that it is beginning to label tweets that link to Russian state-affiliated media.
Twitter also says that it is taking steps to reduce the circulation of content from untrustworthy media outlets.
Ukraine continues to battle an ongoing invasion attempt by Russia.

Twitter has confirmed that it is beginning to label tweets that link to Russian state-affiliated media websites in an attempt to prevent the spread of misinformation.

In a series of tweets today, Yoel Roth, Twitter head of site integrity, said that the company is also "taking steps to significantly reduce the circulation of this content on Twitter."

Today, we’re adding labels to Tweets that share links to Russian state-affiliated media websites and are taking steps to significantly reduce the circulation of this content on Twitter.

We’ll roll out these labels to other state-affiliated media outlets in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/57Dycmn8lxToday, we’re adding labels to Tweets that share links to Russian state-affiliated media websites and are taking steps to significantly reduce the circulation of this content on Twitter.

We’ll roll out these labels to other state-affiliated media outlets in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/57Dycmn8lx— Yoel Roth (@yoyoel) February 28, 2022 February 28, 2022

The news comes as Russia continues its attempted invasion of Ukraine despite fierce resistance. The example tweet shared by Roth mentions RT, a news outlet known to be backed by the Russian government and already associated with misinformation before the invasion began.

Those looking to keep up to speed on the latest developments in Ukraine should ensure they are getting their news from reputable agencies including the BBC and Reuters.

In terms of the response to the invasion, Apple has said it will support humanitarian efforts in response, while sanctions have also shut down Apple Pay in Russia.

Ukraine has also asked Apple to cease sales of products and services in Russia — including the App Store.

I’ve contacted @tim_cook, Apple's CEO, to block the Apple Store for citizens of the Russian Federation, and to support the package of US government sanctions! If you agree to have the president-killer, then you will have to be satisfied with the only available site Russia 24. pic.twitter.com/b5dm78g2vSI’ve contacted @tim_cook, Apple's CEO, to block the Apple Store for citizens of the Russian Federation, and to support the package of US government sanctions! If you agree to have the president-killer, then you will have to be satisfied with the only available site Russia 24. pic.twitter.com/b5dm78g2vS— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 25, 2022 February 25, 2022

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.