Twitter tells users they can have edit button when they wear a face mask

The company will likely never introduce the oft-requested feature

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Twitter has joked that it will be bringing its users an edit button as soon as everyone wears a mask.

The social media company tweeted “You can have an edit button when everyone wears a mask.”

Its communications account quote-tweeted the statement, adding “everyone means EVERYONE”.

The company’s lighthearted tweet wades into the debate currently being held in the United States over whether people should be wearing masks in public.

Donald Trump has previously claimed that Americans are wearing masks during the pandemic to show their disapproval of his leadership, rather than for health reasons.

The president said he would not wear a mask because, reportedly, he believes he would look ridiculous.

In the United Kingdom, the government said that that face coverings must be worn in England on buses, trams, trains, coaches, aircraft and ferries in June.

The British Medical Association (BMA) in April recommends that people should wear face coverings where it is difficult to keep two metres apart.

As for the edit button, a hotly-contested issue for Twitter users, CEO Jack Dorsey said at the start of the year that the company will “probably never do it“.

Some users say the feature would be beneficial if there was a minute-long window after sending tweets, in order to allow them to amend spelling errors or broken links.

However, such a feature would delay tweets from being sent.

If tweets could be edited after posting, there are also concerns that they could be used to spread misinformation and disinformation.

The company has recently introduced new features, including the ability to post voice tweets and asking users to read articles before sharing them.