October 14, 2022 – Twitter is reportedly asking users to verify their birthdate to view ‘sensitive’ tweets as part of the social networking firm’s user safety efforts. The new feature will prevent users under the age of 18 from viewing sensitive content on the platform, according to a report by TechCrunch.
Recently, a number of users reported they have been asked to provide their birthdate to view specific tweets that were labelled as potentially inappropriate; however, those who already have their birthdate added to their profiles will be able to view the contents of age-restricted posts.
“We’re constantly iterating on our work to give people more choice and control over their experience, as well as to make Twitter safer for everyone,” a Twitter spokesperson told TechCrunch. “We’re slowly rolling out a feature to aid in restricting certain sensitive content from people who are under 18 years old or have not submitted their date of birth.”
Twitter does not allow violent, hateful, graphic, or adult content within highly visible areas such as live video, profile, header, etc., and requires the account to be marked as “sensitive” in case the content needs to be acknowledged before being viewed.
“Using this feature means that people who don’t want to see sensitive media can avoid it, or make an informed decision before they choose to view it,” says Twitter. “We also restrict specific sensitive media, such as adult content, for viewers who are under 18 or viewers who do not include a birth date on their profile.”
However, questions have been raised around the efficacy of age screening, as reports indicate audiences under the age of 13 work around age restrictions by providing a wrong birthdate to sign up on social media platforms, including Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook.
Earlier this week, reports emerged that Twitter is reviewing its policies around permanent user ban and exploring alternative methods for serious guidelines violations on the platform.
