After backlash, Twitter now calls NPR—and BBC—'government-funded'

Twitter has updated its policies to label accounts of state-affiliated media outlets, including NPR and BBC, as "government-funded." This comes after the social media platform faced backlash for labeling the accounts of Russian and Chinese state media as such, but not those of Western media outlets.

The new policy applies to accounts that are "financially or editorially controlled by the state," according to Twitter. The label will appear on the account's profile page and in tweets that are shared by the account.

Twitter's decision to label NPR and BBC as "government-funded" has been met with criticism from some who argue that the label is misleading and implies that the outlets are propaganda machines for their respective governments.

However, Twitter has defended its decision, stating that the label is meant to provide transparency and context for users. "We want to make it clear when sources of information are affiliated with a government and state-funded," the company said in a statement.

Twitter's move to label state-affiliated media outlets comes amid growing concerns about the spread of disinformation and propaganda on social media platforms. By labeling these accounts, Twitter is hoping to provide users with more information about the sources of the content they are consuming.

It remains to be seen how effective Twitter's new policy will be in combating disinformation and propaganda. However, it is a step in the right direction towards promoting transparency and accountability on social media platforms.

https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/after-backlash-twitter-now-calls-npr-and-bbc-government-funded

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