Twitter’s New Policy To Eliminate Spam, Duplicate Messages

Twitter has announced the launch of a new "Copypasta and Duplicate Content" policy to clarify how the company combats spam and duplicate content.

In this context, copypasta refers to a group of people seeking to publicly spread content from an original source.

The social media behemoth initially said in August 2020 that it will limit the exposure of copypasta tweets, and now it's detailing what it considers a violation and what steps it's taking to reduce the visibility of such violations.

A violation is when a single Twitter account or numerous accounts tweet identical or nearly similar content.

Another example is a duplicate or copied tweet, which Twitter believes may "disrupt others' experience.

Retweets or tweets that incorporate current content alongside unique content or opinion will not be limited in their exposure, according to Twitter.

We’ve been continuously working to combat spammy &
duplicative content on Twitter at scale and our new Copypasta and Duplicate Content policy clarifies what constitutes a violation along with what happens when it is violated. https://t.co/qA7uhMlgRD https://t.co/W9IyKRXFcQ

— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) May 10, 2022

Twitter said that if it discovers a violation, the tweet will be removed from the Top Search and Trends results.

It also won't recommend the tweet to people who don't follow the account that sent it in their timelines.

In addition, the tweet may be de-emphasised in replies and omitted from email suggestions.

According to Twitter, users who follow the Tweet author may receive repeated text or copypasta Tweets.

"Copypasta or duplicative content" on Twitter is defined as "a block of text, image, or combination of content that has been copied and pasted, or reproduced by any means across the site," according to a help page for the new policy.

"While copypasta or duplicate text is a method for spreading a message that is utilized for a variety of reasons, it can be repetitive, spammy, and disrupt people's Twitter experience."

Duplicative material can also be used to artificially boost content and possibly affect Twitter's Trends and Top Search results, according to Twitter.

Also, Twitter added that duplicative or copypasta tweets do not result in account suspensions or removals on their own, they are subject to review and enforcement under Twitter’s platform manipulation and spam policy.

When accounts use automation or scripting to post duplicate content, Twitter may move toward removing or permanently suspecting them.

Another situation where Twitter may intervene is when the majority of an account's material is duplicated.

Twitter encouraged users to report suspected rules breaches by clicking the three-dot menu adjacent to a tweet and selecting "Report Tweet."

Then they will be prompted to choose which option best illustrates how a tweet is suspicious or spam.