Copyrighted tweets to be withheld, not deleted

Copyrighted tweets to be withheld, not deleted
Withheld tweets - if you love them, let them go

Twitter will no longer simply delete tweets that are reported to breach copyright; instead it will withhold them with a placeholder tweet offering more information.

The social network is trying out a new policy in order to keep Twitter as open as possible.

When a copyright owner requests that Twitter take a tweet down, followers will now see "This Tweet from @user has been withheld in response to a report from the copyright holder."

Informative

There'll also be a link to a support page with more information. It means that all Twitter users who may have seen the original tweet will be aware that it has been removed for a reason.

The tweet will be withheld while Twitter, the user and the copyright holder establish the validity of what was posted – if the tweet is deemed above board, Twitter will simply un-withhold it.

Previously, the site would delete any contentious tweets and manually repost it if necessary.

Twitter explains, "In an effort to be as transparent as possible regarding the removal or restriction of access to user-posted content, we clearly mark withheld Tweets and media to indicate to viewers when content has been withheld.

"We also send a copy of each DMCA notification and counter-notice that we process to Chilling Effects, where they are posted to a public-facing website (with your personal information removed)."

From Twitter

News Editor (UK)

Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.