Twitter users will be asked if they want to read an article before retweeting it in a new feature being tested.

The new prompt, which will appear if users attempt to retweet an article posted by another user without first having clicked on it, is being trialled initially for Android users only.

Twitter said: “Sharing an article can spark conversation, so you may want to read it before you tweet it.

“To help promote informed discussion, we’re testing a new prompt on Android – when you retweet an article that you haven’t opened on Twitter, we may ask if you’d like to open it first.”

The move comes amid continuing conversations about the spread of fake news on social media.

Twitter product lead Kayvon Beykpour said: “It’s easy for links/articles to go viral on Twitter.

“This can be powerful but sometimes dangerous, especially if people haven’t read the content they’re spreading.

“This feature – on Android for now – encourages people to read a linked article prior to retweeting it.”

Twitter has often received criticism for not doing enough to combat the spread of misinformation on the site.

Last month, it flagged two tweets from US President Donald Trump when he made unsubstantiated claims that postal voting would lead to widespread fraud.