Twitter is starting to label accounts run by bots

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

If you’ve ever wondered if there was an actual human behind that Twitter account you’re following, it’s about to get a whole lot easier to tell. Twitter is trialing a new feature that labels Twitter accounts that are automated, so you have more understanding of who you interact with on the platform.

The label will show on both the profile and on individual tweets, and will also let you know which human-controlled account set up the automation. That’s huge for transparency, instantly showing you if that news account or celebrity account is actually run by a person.

The elephant in the room here is that the platform is only labeling “good bots” at this time. Those include “bots that help you find vaccine appointments and disaster early warning systems. When these accounts let you know they’re automated, you get a better understanding of their purpose when you’re interacting with them.” The labeling is also being done by invite, with the label only being applied after the account administrator accepts the invitation.

Twitter hasn’t said anything about labeling malicious bots that spread scams or misinformation, possibly because those are supposedly removed from the account when they’re noticed or reported.

Currently, the Automated Account label is available to around 500 Developer Accounts, ie: those that use Twitter’s API for managing the account. Participating in the label isn’t a requirement for developers at this time, but Twitter told TechCrunch that it might be a required element in the future.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Twitter is looking to boost discovery with the addition of Communities
• Facebook released its first AR glasses yesterday and they don’t seem very impressive
• Twitter wants pictures and videos to shine by making them stretch edge-to-edge on your timeline
• New iPhone 14 leaks show no notch and no camera bump

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.