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To study coronavirus, Twitter offers researchers access to real-time conversations

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Apr 30, 2020, 11:19 PM IST
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The Twitter logo and binary cyber codes are seen in this illustration. Photograph:(Reuters)

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'This is a unique dataset that covers many tens of millions of tweets daily,' the US social network said in a blog.

Twitter on Wednesday offered researchers to access real-time conversations data on its platform to help them deepen their understanding of the disease.

The project is aimed at gathering information about the spread of the illness, assessing the emergency response and communication trends during the crisis, and tackling misinformation.

"This is a unique dataset that covers many tens of millions of tweets daily," the US social network said in a blog.

"The conversations happening on Twitter are highly insightful and have the potential to help the world better understand the COVID-19 pandemic."

Access to Twitter's real-time data could also help develop artificial intelligence tools for scientists working to quell the global outbreak.

"Public conversation can help the world learn faster, solve problems better and realize we're all in this together," Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said.

As the coronavirus cases continue to spread worldwide, tech giants have come together to help the government in the fight.

Silicon Valley giants, Twitter and Apple are building a technology that would help the government in contact tracing to prevent the spread further.

Coronavirus has infected about 3.2 million people and over 227,000 others have succumbed to the deadly disease.