Twitter subscribers finally have a glimpse on how an edited tweet looks like.
On Thursday, the official account of Twitter Blue posted the first edited tweet. It says "this is a test to make sure the edit button works, we'll let you know how it goes."
Feature to Edit Tweet Will Roll Out to Twitter Blue Users Only
The first edited tweet from Twitter Blue gives the subscribers an idea how the new feature will look like.
According to CNET, the new feature will roll out to Twitter Blue users only. It is still unknown when the social media platform would make it available to every user.
XDA noted that Twitter Blue is a premium subscription service of the platform. Users of the premium subscription of the platform allows access to additional features such as custom app icons, the ability to undo tweets, ad-free articles, and bookmark folders.
The new feature will soon roll out to subscribers in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. It will be followed by subscribers in the US. After posting a tweet, subscribers only have 30 minutes to edit it.
You can actually easily spot if a tweet has been edited. Preceding the tweet's timestamp is a pencil icon and a "Last edited" notation with a specific time.
If you're going to view edited tweets in a feed, you will see the pencil icon sitting next to the "time-since-tweeted time stamp."
For years, Twitter users have been asking for the capability to edit tweets. They've been requesting for an edit button for a long time already.
However, in 2020, then-CEO Jack Dorsey said that "Twitter would probably never add one." Despite of this, the social media company issued a confirmation that it was working on the feature back in April.
Users Will be Able to Edit a Tweet Five Times Only
In an earlier report of TechCrunch, Twitter said that users can only edit tweets by five times. The social media company finally confirmed that it is rolling the much-requested tweet editing feature.
The new feature will be very useful in correcting typos, uploading media files or adding some tags.
According to the company, they have decided to limit the edit to five times to prevent people from abusing the feature as there might be users who would want to change the tweet on a whim.
According to Time, experts said that tech companies must take certain precautions to make sure that the edit tools will not be abused.
It is important to incorporate an "edit trail" to prevent the widespread of misinformation and disinformation.
The social media platform has a moral obligation to show the edit history particularly if the information is considered a public record.
With the implementation of the rules on Twitter's edit button, it seems that the social media company is trying to keep a balance between allowing self-expression and preventing abuse.
TechCrunch noted that since the subscribers haven't tried the new feature yet, it's too early to say whether it would cause problems or not.
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