How to use Twitter’s content warnings when sharing sensitive images

Image: Twitter

As Russia's war with Ukraine continues, horrible images are starting to emerge of the civilian casualties. Images of bodies lying in the streets or inside homes have been widely shared on social media.

Images of war can shed new light on the horrors of war and help the people who need it. They can help document what is happening in conflict areas. Bellingcat notes that exposure to graphic imagery can contribute to a sense of secondary trauma. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists previously described the decision of The Associated Press to share a sensitive image via its Twitter feed as exploitative and dehumanizing.

One way to compromise is to use a recently released feature that allows you to tag sensitive imagery, which hides it behind a warning about its content. Here is how to use it.

• Insert an image as normal. Screenshot: Twitter
• From the “Edit photo” screen, tap the flag icon on the lower right. Screenshot: Twitter
• Select the appropriate content warnings. Screenshot: Twitter
• Multiple content warnings can be selected. Screenshot: Twitter
• Once applied, a blue flag icon will appear on the image. Screenshot: Twitter
• The image is now ready to be posted, Screenshot: Twitter
• Here’s how the content warning appears on Twitter. Screenshot: Twitter

• Add a photo or video as you would normally.
• On mobile, tap anywhere on the photo or video to open its editing menu. The paintbrush icon on the bottom right does the same thing. On the web, you can use the edit button on the bottom right of an image.
• From this editing menu, tap the flag icon on the bottom right on mobile or top right on the web.
• Select which content warning best describes the imagery: Nudity, Violence, or Sensitive. Twitter allows you to select more than one category at a time. Select Done on mobile.
• Select Save from the top right of the editing menu.
• Publish the tweet.

There is no easy answer for how to use images depicting the horrors of war. Content warnings like these can help viewers prepare themselves for what they're about to see.

Some imagery that is too extreme to be allowed on its platform is also included. The support page states that it doesn't allow images or videos where a person is clearly dead.