Twitter is reportedly developing a feature that would allow users to control public mentions of their accounts on the platform. The social media platform allows users to tag and address public accounts by typing “@” followed by the unique username the user wishes to mention in their tweets, replies, or quote tweets on the platform. Security researcher and reverse engineering expert Jane Manchun Wong (Twitter: @wongmjane), tweeted that the social media company is working on a way to allow users to block these mentions through controls that either block mentions entirely, or limit them to pre-approved followers. Users may also choose to continue allowing all mentions, according to a report.
Wong posted a screenshot along with the tweet, that shows the limiting control feature that is currently in development. Twitter privacy designer Dominic Camozzi had reportedly also confirmed that the feature to limit mentions is being developed through a tweet. However, he later deleted the tweet, according to a report by The Verge.
Back in 2020, Twitter introduced a feature that allowed users to limit replies to tweets users they follow or to users mentioned in the tweet. Earlier this year, the social media platform introduced a feature called Twitter Circles that allows users to curate a select list of users that can access certain tweets posted by the user.
Twitter’s mention of limiting controls could radically impact the way in which the digital town square social media platform functions. The feature may also help in minimizing harassment, and bullying from unknown user accounts, while also protecting marginalized accounts, as per the report. Aside from the now-deleted tweet from Camozzi, Twitter is yet to officially announce plans for a feature to allow users to control mentions.
The social media platform was recently spotted asking users who take screenshots of tweets to share a link to the tweet instead, as part of efforts by the firm to improve engagement on the platform, ahead of a takeover by Elon Musk, which is expected to take place later this month.
Twitter also recently confirmed the rollout of a feature that allows Twitter Blue subscribers in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand to edit tweets that have already been published. The company is also expected to roll out the edit feature in the US soon.