Twitter working on new ‘Safety Mode’ feature: Here’s how it will help users auto-block, mute abusive accounts

Microblogging and social networking platform Twitter is planning to introduce a way for users to automatically block and mute abusive accounts. During its Analyst Day presentation, the social media giant hinted that this new feature will be a toggle for users, who will have the option to turn it on in a new "safety mode."

Twitter described how the toggle will work if users turn it on, "Automatically block accounts that appear to break the Twitter Rules, and mute accounts that might be using insults, name-calling, strong language, or hateful remarks.

"This new safety mode will help Twitter to automatically detect accounts that "might be acting abusive or spammy" and limit how those accounts can engage with your content for seven days.

Twitter has been embroiled in controversies due to the abuse on its platform and has released a number of features over the years to help reduce offensive content, such as letting people hide replies and letting users control who can reply to an individual tweet.

The company also has some automated tools in place to remove abusive tweets, and it said in 2019 that it removes more than 50 percent of abusive tweets before users report them.