Twitter 'tampering' with public record by wiping embedded deleted tweets

The developer and open internet communities have slammed a Twitter change that is wiping embedded deleted tweets, available in third-party websites, from the public domain. Earlier, a deleted tweet embedded in a web page would still display the text content of a tweet. Now that text is showing only a blank box, leaving the open web community worried as it is like "tampering with the public record".

San Francisco/New Delhi: The developer and open internet communities have slammed a Twitter change that is wiping embedded deleted tweets, available in third-party websites, from the public domain. Earlier, a deleted tweet embedded in a web page would still display the text content of a tweet.

Now that text is showing only a blank box, leaving the open web community worried as it is like "tampering with the public record", reports TechCrunch. IndieWeb developer and former Google Developer Advocate Kevin Marks said that "with all the fuss about Twitter's promised edit button, and how they might design it, we're missing a disturbing development as "Twitter is using its embedded javascript to edit other people's sites".

According to him, Twitter is altering web pages with deleted embedded tweets by hiding the text with JavaScript. Marks cited former US President Donald Trump's since-deleted tweets as an example of content in the public interest that should remain available. Until recently, if the tweet or account had been deleted, then Twitter would leave the "blockquote alone, so the embedded text would still show, but without Twitter's validation".

"This was by design, so that the act of quoting would still work," Mark said in a blog. Twitter Senior Product Manager Eleanor Harding replied to Marsk, saying Twitter is seeking to "better respect when people have chosen to delete their Tweets" with the change. "Very soon it'll have better messaging that explains why the content is no longer available," she replied in a tweet.

According to Andy Baio, who created the virtual event platform Skittish, the Twitter change is "a huge problem for preserving the historical record". Twitter has announced that it is working to allow users to edit their tweets after posting them to fix typos and errors. The micro-blogging platform said Twitter plans to begin testing the feature with Twitter Blue subscribers in "the coming months."

The news came as Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk acquired a 9.2 per cent stake for $3 billion in the company.

IANS