Elon Musk adopted a number of policies after taking over Twitter. To cut costs, Twitter took a number of measures, such as large layoffs, a strong push for the Twitter Blue paid service, and a 200-fold increase in the cost of external API interfaces. Recent rumours claim that Musk appears to have disabled Twitter’s automatic translation feature. According to Piunika Web, Twitter’s recent version update is suspected to be removing the automatic translation function in grayscale. Many users report that the “Translate” button is no longer there when viewing other people’s tweets. But some users said that their translate button still works.
Twitter did not give any details with respect to the issue. Its official only said that Twitter is aware of the issue. The company also said that the Twitter team will be in touch if it finds any issues. However, another report from Piunika Web claims that “Twitter has cut off the translate button”. This means that users can only manually copy the text of the tweet and use a third – party tool to translate it.
Twitter translate links with Google
According to ITHome, a deep search of Twitter translate reveals that it uses Google’s Translate API. This means that every time a Twitter user uses the translate feature, Twitter has to pay a fee to Google. After Elon Musk took over Twitter, he has been doing anything that will ensure that Twiter does not spend money. Recall that Elon Musk even owed some suppliers and owners of offices that the company uses. In fac, the company swung a big stick to scholars who used Twitter data for research.
Twitter has been facing some issues since Musk took over. Its need not to spend money is likely part of the issues it is facing. Todar, Ella Irwin, director of trust and security at Twitter, announced her resignation after only half a year in office. On the 31st of last month, data from Fidelity Investments showed that the current value of Twitter is only what it was when Musk originally acquired it.
Mixed Reaction
The report that it appears that Twitter is taking down the auto translate feature has been met with mixed reactions. While some are not happy with the decision, others are applauding the move. Let us now take a look at the possible the reasons behind Twitter’s decision to remove the auto translate feature and what it means for users.
Twitter’s automatic translation feature was introduced in 2020 as an experiment to automatically translate tweets into a user’s language of choice. The feature was designed to make it easier for users to read tweets in languages they may not understand, without having to rely on third-party translation tools. The feature was available to users on both iOS and Android devices and was rolled out to a small group of users in Brazil.
Gizchina News of the week
Why did Twitter take down the automatic translation feature?
Twitter has not given a specific reason for taking down the automatic translation feature, but it is believed that the move was made to address issues related to translation accuracy and potential biases. Machine translation technology, which powers automatic translation features, has been known to suffer from biases that can harm users and society at large. Studies have shown that gender bias is a common problem in machine translation. Twitter may have decided to take down the automatic translation feature to avoid perpetuating such biases.
Another reason for Twitter’s decision to remove the automatic translation feature could be related to the fact that the translations were not always accurate. In some cases, the translations were so poor that they were incomprehensible. This could have led to confusion and misunderstandings among users.
What does this mean for Twitter users?
The removal of the automatic translation feature means that users will no longer be able to view translations of tweets in their language of choice without having to tap a translation button. Instead, users will have to rely on third-party translation tools or manually translate tweets themselves. This could be a significant inconvenience for users who rely on Twitter to stay informed about news and events in other parts of the world.
However, it is important to note that Twitter’s manual translation feature is still available to users. Users can view a translation for a tweet by tapping the globe icon. This means that users who need translations can still access them, albeit with an extra step.
Final Words
Twitter’s decision to remove the automatic translation feature has been met with mixed reactions from users. While some users may be disappointed by the move, others see it as a step in the right direction towards. Those who like the move claims it addressing issues related to translation accuracy and potential biases. In many cases, there is always mixed reactions with such removals. When Twitter removed the Bing translate in 2014, some users were upset, while others saw it as a good move to address issues related to translation accuracy and reliability.
The major issue with Twitter auto translate is that it does not always offer accurate translation. This makes users to often get confused about the info they are getting. Some users believe that there is no need to have a translate feature if it can not be pretty decent. Regardless of how users feel about the move, it is clear that Twitter is committed to improving the user experience. The company wants to ensure that users have access to accurate and unbiased info.
