Twitter on Thursday announced it will allow paid subscribers to test the edit button that allows them to modify their posts on the microblogging platform.
The long-awaited feature is being tested internally and will be rolled out later this month for users who pay $4.99 (Rs 400) for Twitter’s Blue service. Every user will be able to see when a tweet is edited.
“Since this is our most requested feature to date, we want to make sure we get it right,” the company said in a statement.
How will it work?
The users would be able to edit their tweets a few times only for 30 minutes after they are published. The edited tweets will appear “with an icon, timestamp, and label” to clarify that the content has been modified, Twitter said.
Tapping the label of the edited tweets will take viewers to the edit history that includes past versions of the post, Twitter said.
It pointed out that the time limit to edit tweets and version history play an important role to “help protect the integrity of the conversation and create a publicly accessible record of what was said”.
Twitter also shared a picture of what the edited tweets will look like:
Controversy about edit button
Tech experts have warned that users could use the feature to change their statements after others have retweeted or endorsed them.
Vice President of consumer product Jay Sullivan said in April that there have been concerns about the misuse of the edit button, reported The Verge.
Former Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey in 2020 opposed the edit option and said that Twitter would probably never add it, Wired reported. He added that the uneditable nature of posts was integral to the platform, as it allows users to retweet and quote tweet others without fear that the original message could be altered.
The debate on the feature came into the limelight in 2022 after billionaire Elon Musk, who had then bought a 9.2% stake in the company, asked Twitter users if they wanted an edit button. Over 32,430,00, or 73.6%, of 4,406,764 users voted yes.
Twitter quickly clarified that it was just working on the feature since last year and that Musk’s tweet did not prompt it to think of the edit button.
Other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Medium already have an edit button.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!