Read before Retweet; Twitter's new feature promotes informed discussions

Twitter has always wanted to be a platform for meaningful and productive discussions. But over time, it has been a victim of fake news, trolls, and misinformation like any other social platform. But the micro-blogging platform on Wednesday revealed that it is testing a new feature that will promote informed discussions.

Twitter is testing a new feature on the Android platform that prompts users to read an article before retweeting it. This new prompt will only appear when the user RTs an article without opening it on Twitter.

"Sharing an article can spark conversation, so you may want to read it before you Tweet it. To help promote informed discussion, we're testing a new prompt on Android –– when you Retweet an article that you haven't opened on Twitter, we may ask if you'd like to open it first," Twitter Support revealed on Wednesday.

Twitter's disappearing tweets aka Fleets

Twitter is constantly testing new features before rolling out widely to all the users. Right before the new prompt feature, Twitter rolled out Fleets, which is identical to Instagram's Stories. Fleets are disappearing tweets, which have a validity of 24 hours.

Identical to Instagram, Fleets will be visible to users and anyone who posted them can see who has viewed the Fleet. The feature is available only in select markets, including India, on Android and iOS platforms. The feature has already received positive reviews and with the success of the beta rollout, it will be available to all the users soon.