Twitter users have clamored for an edit button since practically the beginning of the platform. They may be finally getting their wish – sort of.
Twitter founder Jack Dorsey stated at a recent Goldman Sachs event:
The other thing that we’re seeing more broadly within the culture right now in this particular moment is people quote-unquote ‘being cancelled’ because of past things that they’ve said on Twitter or various other places in social media. There’s no credible way to kind of go back and clarify or even have a conversation to show the learning and the transition since.
Dorsey’s solution to that problem is a sort of “clarify” button:
How do we enable people to quickly go back or to any tweet, whether it be years back or today, and show that original tweet — kind of like a quote retweet, a retweet with comment — and to add some context and some color on what they might have tweeted or what they might have meant.
The button would initially be tested with journalists and newsmakers as a way to clear up inaccurate news – and the original tweet could only be retweeted with the clarification.
While not quite as exciting as an edit button, the feature may be helpful in giving news outlets and celebrities who have large audience the ability to correct or clarify a previous tweet… if they choose to do so.