Twitter has confirmed that it has begun testing an edit button – but it won’t be available to everyone.
The company revealed earlier this year that it was working on a tool to let users edit tweets after they are posted, calling it its “most requested feature to date”.
It will allow tweets to be edited “a few times” in a 30-minute window immediately after they are published, and edited tweets will appear with an icon, timestamp, and label to make it clear the original post has been modified.
Users will be able to click to see a tweet’s edit history, which will show past versions.
But at least initially, not everyone will be able to edit their tweets.
The feature will only be for users of the premium Twitter Blue subscription service later this month, which is not available in the UK.
Twitter said labelling tweets and giving access to a post’s history is important because “they help protect the integrity of the conversation and create a publicly accessible record of what was said”.
In a blog post, Twitter said the feature would remain in a testing phase, with only a few users, for some time while it analyses how it is used.
But some critics have warned it could be exploited by bad actors seeking to spread disinformation.
In its blog post, the company said: “Like any new feature, we’re intentionally testing Edit Tweet with a smaller group to help us incorporate feedback while identifying and resolving potential issues.
“This includes how people might misuse the feature. You can never be too careful.”
What is Twitter Blue?
The platform said as part of Twitter Blue, users receive “early access to features” to help with testing.
Twitter Blue, available in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, is a monthly subscription service that gives users additional features not available to the wider public.
Twitter added that the test will be localised to a single country at first and then expanded as the platform observes how people use the feature, adding that it will pay “close attention”.
Last month, the company rolled out a new service Twitter Circle, which allows users to share their tweets with a small, select audience, similar to Instagram’s ‘close friends’ feature.
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