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

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 is making moves to make sure that people know whether news can be trusted or not.

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/57Dycmn8lx

— Yoel Roth (@yoyoel) 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/b5dm78g2vS

— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 25, 2022