Twitter is beginning to roll out labels for automated accounts (or bot accounts), the company announced Thursday. “Examples of automated accounts you might see on Twitter include bots that help you find vaccine appointments and disaster early warning systems,” Twitter said in an FAQ. “When these accounts let you know they’re automated, you get a better understanding of their purpose when you’re interacting with them.”
Initially, in what Twitter is calling a test, a small number of developers will be invited to be able to apply the labels to their accounts. For accounts in the test that have activated the labels, an “Automated” label will appear on profile pages and on tweets themselves for accounts. Twitter says all developers will be able to use the labels by the end of the year.
What’s a bot and what’s not? We’re making it easier to identify #GoodBots and their automated Tweets with new labels.
Starting today, we’re testing these labels to give you more context about who you’re interacting with on Twitter. pic.twitter.com/gnN5jVU3pp
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) September 9, 2021
The rollout is kicking off a bit later than the July timeframe that was previously promised. Twitter is also working on a label to memorialize people who have died. Last we heard, that label was scheduled to be available this year.
