Twitter Rolls Out New Voice Tweet Feature On iOS, Brings Moderation Concerns

Twitter Inc. TWTR is launching voice tweets that will allow users to post audio clips of up to 140 seconds in length.

What Happened

On Wednesday, Twitter announced its users will now be able to add voice to bolster their conversations on the microblogging site, in addition to already being able to use text, photos, gifs, and video.

If a voice tweet is more than the allocated 140 seconds, a new tweet starts automatically, creating a thread.

Why It Matters

According to Twitter, the feature is currently available for a limited number of users on iOS but will be available to everyone in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, all users will be able to listen and reply.

Concerns are being raised about voice tweets, with Vice journalist Jason Koebler pointing out that audio is more difficult to moderate.

Koebler also wrote that Twitter is a platform on which LGBTQ+ people, as well as African Americans and other minorities,  are “targeted by coordinated harassment campaigns.”

While Twitter has a function enabling blind or visually challenged persons to access picture descriptions, it’s unclear if a similar feature would be made available for voice tweets.

Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, has supported minorities, announcing a $3 million grant to NFL player Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp organization.

Price Action

Twitter shares traded 0.61% lower at $34.13 in the after-hours session on Wednesday. The shares had closed the regular session 0.84% lower at $34.34.