Twitter is bringing back special labels to help users identify accounts and tweets from U.S. political candidates. The company says it's trying to provide users with original sources of information and prevent fake accounts from fooling voters.
Many candidates already have blue check marks to indicate that Twitter has confirmed that they are who they say they are. The election labels go further. They provide details such as what office a person is running for and where. The Associated Press reports the labels will also carry a small ballot box icon and will appear on candidates’ accounts and tweets, even if they are retweeted by someone else.
For now, the labels will only apply to House, Senate and gubernatorial races, but not the presidential race. AP reports presidential candidates may be added to the policy later. The labels will also only be used for those candidates who have won their primaries or qualified for the general election.
The extra level of verification could help prevent people from creating a fake account pretending to be a real politician and spreading false messages, according to AP. There have been numerous bogus accounts on Twitter in which someone slightly changes the handle, but claims to be the real person.
Facebook also verifies accounts for public figures and celebrities, while YouTube verifies official channels. But they don't go as far as adding election labels.
