From today forward, individuals using Twitter within the United States will encounter two prominent alerts displayed at the beginning of their timelines. These alerts are intended to proactively counter inaccurate information concerning the voting process.

The noticeable messages are crafted to address the significant volume of unsubstantiated assertions surrounding the 2020 election.

One alert informs users they “may come across inaccurate information” regarding voting by mail. The other seeks to prevent disruption related to the election online by advising users that the outcome of the U.S. election could be announced after a delay.

A delayed announcement of results is a realistic possibility given the anticipated record number of ballots submitted through the mail. Variations in state regulations regarding when mailed ballots are counted mean that the official tally may require a considerable amount of time to be finalized – a scenario it is prudent to anticipate.

These prompts will direct users to Twitter Moments containing reliable information on each of these subjects. The alerts will also appear during searches for related keywords and hashtags.

Numerous social media organizations have been working to prepare their platforms for the distinct difficulties presented by a highly contested U.S. election occurring during an ongoing public health emergency. While these preparations have varied in effectiveness – ranging from inadequate to substantial – presenting proactive, highly visible notices to all users represents an improvement over the less conspicuous misinformation “labels” applied to false statements on both Twitter and Facebook.