Twitter introduces more features to curb online abuse

In its fight against online abuse, Twitter is trying to make the field tougher for trollers. Following the changes introduced recently, the micro-blogging site has come up with another round of updates, giving users more control over abusive posts.

Expanding the mute feature, now users can mute not only specific words but also specific usernames and accounts. Users can set the time period, and until the specified time period is up, the blocked words, username, or account will not appear on the timeline. Importantly, the time period option also includes 'forever'.

Users can now also mute accounts with 'eggs' avatar - the default Twitter egg profile picture. Accounts that are yet to update the profile picture, or are yet to verify the contact and email details, can be muted, adding few more steps for trollers when creating troll accounts.

“Our platform supports the freedom to share any viewpoint,” the company said in a blog post, “but if an account continues to repeatedly violate the Twitter Rules, we will consider taking further action.”

However, the latest update brings a bad news for brands too. The mute feature which allows users to mute word, usernames and accounts, can mute the brand name also, simply to avoid the multiple buy posts. This will make it difficult for brands to reach their target customers.

Twitter is also taking proactive measures with machine learning. If Twitter detects that accounts are repeatedly tweeting unfollowers, or engaging in activities that are likely to signal abuse, Twitter will temporarily limit their access to the platform. Similar to the feature Timeout launched a few weeks back, the suspended account’s tweets will be visible only to the people that follow it.

Twitter wrote, "We’re working to identify accounts as they’re engaging in abusive behaviour, even if this behaviour hasn’t been reported to us.

Though many users report abuses to Twitter, many times they fail to see any revert or action taken. Now, Twitter is assuring users the much-needed communication element. Twitter will regularly notify users of the action taken for the harassment report.

Making Twitter a safer place is our primary focus and we are now moving with more urgency than ever.

— Ed Ho (@mrdonut) January 31, 2017

Twitter will roll out these changes globally in the coming days and weeks.