Twitter changes its mind and removes "government-funded" label from news accounts

Twitter recently began adding a "government-funded" and "state-affiliated" label to media accounts that it considered as having received either partial or full financial support from a government agency. Although practical for accounts that were clearly 100% funded by a foreign government, the practice drew heavy criticism when it was applied to popular news organizations, such as NPR or PBS, that claimed they were editorially independent.

The backlash was such that it culminated in Twitter deciding to remove the label altogether. Reportedly, as noted by Engadget, Twitter took the step after receiving criticism that the label could be used to manipulate public opinion and the departure from Twitter of some of the affected accounts.

The label was first created in an attempt to curb the spread of misinformation and to ensure that users are not misled. Such has been the case with foreign governments, such as that of China, that have been known to use social media platforms to spread propaganda and promote its own interests. According to a Twitter spokesperson, the decision to remove the government-funded label was made after the company conducted a review of its policies, and added that Twitter remains committed to ensuring that its platform is not used to spread misinformation or propaganda.

The move has been welcomed by many who see it as a positive step in the fight against the spread of false information. However, some critics have raised concerns about the impact that the move could have on freedom of speech. This also follows the removal of several legacy verification checkmarks from notable accounts that have opted not to pay for Twitter Blue, except those that Elon Musk has decided to pay for himself, such as that belonging to Stephen King and Lebron James, among others.

Twitter has been under pressure in recent years to take a more active role in the fight against fake news and misinformation. The new management, helmed by Elon Musk, has in turn rolled out a number of measures to address this issue, however, they almost always feel like a trial just to see what "sticks". Hopefully, Twitter can come out of this transition unscathed and can finalize a set of rules and regulations that everyone can abide by without worrying about volatile last minute changes.