Twitter will add new features intended to help curb abuse on the platform. Users will be able filter out certain keywords, phrases, user names, and hashtags in their mentions.
Twitter says. You’ll also have the option to mute threads. The company is also revamping its abuse reporting system so that bystanders can report harassment and hate speech directly rather than leaving that option solely to the person on the receiving end.
The “mute” option currently allows users to block tweets from accounts.
The change will be rolled out to all users in the coming days, Twitter said in a blog post.
Twitter, which has struggled to strike a balance between free expression and blocking violent and hateful speech, has come under increasing criticism following complaints from users that they have been the target of abuse.
In July, Twitter permanently banned some user accounts for harassment after Ghostbusters actor Leslie Jones left the site, saying she had faced severe harassment.
Twitter said it would provide “a more direct way” for users to flag abusive content, but didn’t give details.
The company also said it had improved internal controls to deal more effectively with abusive conduct reported by users.
