More or less since Twitter first rolled out in 2006 users have been clamoring for a feature that allows tweets to be edited.

For years, the social media giant resisted. Until now.

On Thursday, Sept. 1, Twitter revealed that it’s internally testing edited tweets. The feature will soon be expanded to subscribers of Twitter Blue, a paid premium service. Blue subscribers in Australia, Canada and New Zealand will first get to make use of the feature, likely later this month. The United States will follow. Twitter users outside the test group will be able to view edited tweets.

“Like any new feature, we’re intentionally testing Edit Tweet with a smaller group to help us incorporate feedback while identifying and resolving potential issues,” Twitter said in a blog post. “This includes how people might misuse the feature. You can never be too careful.”

if you see an edited Tweet it's because we're testing the edit button

this is happening and you'll be okay

— Twitter (@Twitter) September 1, 2022

During testing, Twitter will allow tweets to be edited a “few times” within 30 minutes of initial publication. Edited tweets will appear with an icon, timestamp and label. The aim of that is to make it evident to readers that the original tweet was changed. Tapping the label will take viewers to the tweet’s edit history, which will include past versions.

“For context, the time limit and version history play an important role here,” Twitter said. “They help protect the integrity of the conversation and create a publicly accessible record of what was said.”

Such safeguards aim to counteract potential misuse. Over the years, part of Twitter’s resistance to adding an edit feature has been that it could be abused. For instance, there’s been concern that a ne’er-do-well could edit a tweet that was at first benign to later include political misinformation or bigoted speech, thereby giving such unsavory messaging widespread reach.

Promo Pros React

As in most industries, individuals and companies throughout the promotional products market have become active on Twitter, with some amassing thousands of followers. We asked a few promos pros what they think of Edit Tweet. Here’s what they had to say.

“For those who use the power of the platform legitimately and need to update content or misspellings in tweets (like me), I am ecstatic about the feature.” Danny Rosin, Co-President, Brand Fuel (asi/145025). @DannyRosin, 6.4K Followers.

“Obviously I think this is a good thing for when you’ve spelled something wrong, or used the incorrect ‘their,’ ‘there’ or ‘they’re.’ But my concern is how an edit button could affect the integrity of a tweet and change its original meaning. Kind of like a bait and switch, this could create more problems than it solves.”  Vin Driscoll, Digital Content Director, ASI. @asicentral.com, 12.6K Followers.

“First thoughts on this? Love it! What took so long?” Meg Erber, Educator, S&S Activewear (asi/84358). @MeganErber, 1.7K Followers.

“An edit button is a welcome change to fix those typos that we somehow always catch right after we hit send. I like that earlier versions of a tweet will still be saved and available to view so that people can’t just tweet something inflammatory and then pretend later they said something completely different by editing what they wrote.” Theresa Hegel, Executive Editor of Digital Content, ASI Media. @TheresaHegel, 4K Followers.

Some cultural observers, like author Miles Klee writing for Slate, would rather Twitter remain without an edit feature.

“If the typo you discover only after thousands of accounts have shared your joke is frustrating, it’s also sort of charming — the flaw that keeps you humble and adds to the freewheeling chaos of a platform in perpetual motion,” Klee writes.

Klee continues: “I’m not claiming that edits will destroy Twitter — only that they promise to dilute the anarchic spirit of the place with bureaucratic fussiness, a constant urge to further qualify and recalibrate what is best expressed in bolts of wild energy. To sow inhibition where we thrive on impulse is a depressing move, and it denies a truth no brand can alter: However you said it the first time was absolutely sincere.”