Twitter Asks Users to Reconsider Before Sending Vulgar Tweets

(Bloomberg) -- Twitter Inc. will ask users to watch their language as part of a new test to clean up parts of its service.

When someone replies to another user's post, Twitter may prompt them to reconsider their response if it includes slurs, epithets or swear words, a company spokesperson said.

“When things get heated, you may say things you don't mean,” the company said in a tweet Tuesday. This new prompt, “gives you the option to revise your reply before it's published.” The test, which for now is only available on iOS devices, won't include an edit feature -- once a reply is sent, it won't be able to be changed, the spokesperson confirmed. Users can still send their original reply even after a prompt to revise it.

Twitter has tried for years to clean up its site, which can be full of hate speech and slurs. The company has historically erred on the side of free speech, leaving posts up even if they are abusive. But in recent years, Twitter has started to become stricter about removing posts that could lead to real-world harm.

Scanning user replies before they're sent, and suggesting those users reconsider different phrasing, will likely ruffle feathers for some of the platform's 166 million daily users. Facebook Inc.'s Instagram has a similar feature to try and sanitize comments on its platform.

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