Highlighting rampant harassment on Twitter is now a cliché; We all know it is a breeding ground for abuse and cyberbullying. Fortunately, the company finally seems to be responding to user demands for better anti-harassment tools with a. to listen new function “safety mode”.
When enabled, the Safe Mode algorithm looks for accounts that are sending hateful Tweets and proactively adds them to the user’s blacklist – but only if you haven’t followed them or interacted with them.
The security mode is still in the test phase and will initially only be introduced for a selected group of users. You can check the option and enable it in your Twitter profile settings:
- Open Twitter, then go to Settings and privacy> Privacy and security.
- Tap the “Security mode” Button (if available).
- Tap the slider to turn on safe mode.
- You can also choose “Automatically blocked accounts” on this screen to view and manage the list of users the algorithm has blocked for you.
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Twitter says that for the first safety mode feedback group it will “prioritize people from marginalized communities and female journalists,” but it will eventually get into everyone’s settings menu in the future.
This is a smart move by Twitter. Study after study shows women and marginalized groups confronted disproportionately with the worst abuse on Twitter, especially those in public roles like journalists, politicians, content creators, and celebrities, so it’s good to see Twitter prioritize their safety and feedback first.
Other ways to block trolls on Twitter
Security mode seems like a step in the right direction, but we won’t know if it actually makes Twitter more secure until it’s widely available. One cannot help but think that the odds are against it; Trolling almost feels like one endemic part of the Twitter experience, and it’s hard to trust the company after its frustratingly inconsistent history responded to and prevented this harassment in the first place.
Fortunately, for those who can’t access Safe Mode – or if you think the feature doesn’t live up to its name – there are other ways to block trolls on Twitter:
- The easiest thing to do is to manually mute or block an account yourself. You can mute or block someone else’s tweet, your DMs, or their Twitter profile right away. Muted accounts won’t appear on your timeline, while blocking accounts will also prevent them from seeing your Tweets, following you, or sending you messages.
- You can change who is can reply to your tweets.
- You can also take words from your timeline and notifications. mute Settings & Privacy> Privacy & Security> Mute & Block> Muted Words.
- Another option is to use crowd-sourced blocklists that you put in. can import Settings and privacy> Privacy and security> Security> Blocked accounts.
- You can use third party services like Mega block, which automatically blocks anyone who follows an account or likes a tweet you specify.
- If all else fails, setting your Twitter account to Protected will make your Tweets and profile private and new followers will have to request approval. This option is available at Settings and privacy> Your account> Account information> Protected Tweets.
These additional settings and services can make Twitter more secure, but none are perfect.
It’s impossible to manually block every troll or mute every potentially problematic word. Block lists can suddenly change when the admin adds or removes an account from the list, and there’s always a chance that you’re blocking someone you didn’t want when using an app like Megablock. And not everyone can make their profiles private, especially if they rely on Twitter for networking, public relations, or even for their income.
Hopefully there will be new features like the safety mode and the Rumor has it that tools to automatically archive tweets and remove followers will fill in the gaps and offer users more proactive options.
[TechRadar]