Twitter is testing a new way to remove “unwanted attention” from your account. In addition to blocking or muting users, Twitter is working on a way to “unmention” yourself in an existing tweet and prevent people from tagging you in future tweets. (Think about it like untagging yourself in a photo on Facebook.) Between this and the recent addition to control who replies to your tweets, Twitter may become a safer place for more users with easier ways to combat toxic behavior and “large-scale harassment.”
But remember, at the moment, Twitter is in the anonymity business. Unless the site changes course and requires all users to verify who they are, there’s no way to totally eliminate nasty tweets. This new feature would simply make those tweets easier to avoid. Kudos to Twitter for testing this out.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with AI strategy, implementation and governance, as well as technology, media and marketing. Named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Technology, he is a bestselling author, covers tech and business for Fox 5’s Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN, and writes the popular daily business blog Think About This. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.