Twitter will address synthetic and manipulated media by labeling tham and also by remobving them if necessary, beginning from next month.

The policy includes deepfake videos that have been edited using artificial intelligence or other advanced software to distort a person’s appearance or speech while appearing to be authentic, as well as other kinds of edited photos and videos that have been “substantially edited,” the company said Tuesday in a blog post.

According to Twitter's updated policy, users may not deceptively share synthetic or manipulated media that are likely to cause harm. In addition, the company may label Tweets containing synthetic and manipulated media to help people understand the media’s authenticity and to provide additional context.

Twitter will use the following criteria to consider Tweets and media for labeling or removal under this rule:

• Are the media synthetic or manipulated? In determining whether media have been significantly and deceptively altered or fabricated, some factors Twitter considers include:
• Whether the content has been substantially edited in a manner that fundamentally alters its composition, sequence, timing, or framing;
• Any visual or auditory information (such as new video frames, overdubbed audio, or modified subtitles) that has been added or removed; and
• Whether media depicting a real person has been fabricated or simulated.
• Are the media shared in a deceptive manner?

Twitter will also consider whether the context in which media are shared could result in confusion or misunderstanding or suggests a deliberate intent to deceive people about the nature or origin of the content, for example by falsely claiming that it depicts reality.

The company also assess the context provided alongside media, for example:

• The text of the Tweet accompanying or within the media
• Metadata associated with the media
• Information on the profile of the person sharing the media
• Websites linked in the profile of the person sharing the media, or in the Tweet sharing the media
• Is the content likely to impact public safety or cause serious harm?

Tweets that share synthetic and manipulated media are subject to removal under this policy if they are likely to cause harm. Some specific harms Twitter considers include:

• Threats to the physical safety of a person or group
• Risk of mass violence or widespread civil unrest
• Threats to the privacy or ability of a person or group to freely express themselves or participate in civic events, such as: stalking or unwanted and obsessive attention;targeted content that includes tropes, epithets, or material that aims to silence someone; voter suppression or intimidation

Twitter's teams will start labeling Tweets with this type of media on March 5, 2020.