Twitter Launches Link-Screening Service

In an effort to cut down phishing and other malicious attacks, Twitter has launched a link-screening service. Computerworld reports that the service includes a Twitter tool to shorten URLs. Users will now see some links in e-mail notifications and direct messages from other users written as twt.tl.

In a blog post, Twitter says:

By routing all links submitted to Twitter through this new service, we can detect, intercept, and prevent the spread of bad links across all of Twitter. Even if a bad link is already sent out in an email notification and somebody clicks on it, we'll be able keep that user safe.

Twitter has become a popular taget of phishing attacks. Last month, the microblogging service was hit by two phishing attacks, one of which snookered several British journalists and politicians.