Twitter tests Safety Mode to counter insults
Hateful remarks, uninvited replies to also invite temporary suspension
Potentially harmful language such as insults or hateful remarks, or sending repetitive and uninvited replies or mentions would invite temporary action from Twitter if you turn on the “Safety Mode” in your settings. The microblogging platform is testing the new feature, Safety Mode, that will temporarily block accounts for seven days if they are found to be indulging in such activities. The aim is to reduce disruptive interactions.
“Starting today, we’re rolling out this safety feature to a small feedback group on IOS, Android, and Twitter.com, beginning with accounts that have English-language settings enabled,” said
Jarrod Doherty, senior product manager at Twitter in a post on Wednesday.
Here’s how it works: When the feature is turned on in your settings, Twitter’s systems will “assess the likelihood of a negative engagement by considering both the tweet’s content and the relationship between the tweet author and replier”. Twitter’s technology would take existing relationships into account, “so accounts you follow or frequently interact with will not be autoblocked”.
Tweets found by the microblogging platform’s technology to be harmful or uninvited will be autoblocked. Such profiles will temporarily be unable to follow an account, see their tweets or send them direct messages.
Twitter consulted its partners with expertise in online safety, mental health and human rights, including members of its Trust and Safety Council, to build this feature.
“Their feedback influenced adjustments to make Safety Mode easier to use and helped us think through ways to address the potential manipulation of our technology. These trusted partners also played an important role in nominating Twitter account owners to join the feedback group, prioritising people from marginalised communities and female journalists,” Doherty said.
Article 19, a human rights organisation that champions digital rights and equality, added, “As members of the Trust & Safety Council, we provided feedback on Safety Mode to ensure it entails mitigations that protect counter-speech while also addressing online harassment towards women and journalists. Safety Mode is another step in the right direction towards making Twitter a safe place to participate in the public conversation without fear of abuse.”