Twitter is working on a feature that lets you moderate your replies

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Twitter is testing a new feature which would let you moderate your tweet’s replies, hiding any replies you don’t want anyone else reading. The social platform already does this, in the aim of “serving healthy conversation,” and it’s going to be opening up that content moderation tool to all users in the next coming months.

The feature was found, yet again, by prolific app-diver Jane Manchun Wong.

This new feature will let users hide tweets, which removes them from the feed or thread without needing to block or mute the tweeter. Think of it as a limited time-out, or a way to remove comments that are off on a tangent from the overall thread. It could also be used to keep threaded conversations as a whole block, hiding any responses. Those responses aren’t gone, and anyone reading the thread has the option to view the hidden replies to see the rest of the context around the conversation.

Twitter is testing replies moderation. It lets you to hide replies under your tweets, while providing an option to show the hidden replies pic.twitter.com/dE19w4TLtp

— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) February 28, 2019

Not long after the feature was tweeted out by Wong, Michelle Yasmeen Haq, a senior product manager at Twitter, confirmed that it was being tested and would be publicly tested “in the coming months.”

She goes on to give more context to the new tool by illustrating the gap it will fill between the existing block, mute and report tools saying “Block and mute only change the experience of the blocker, and report only works for the content that violates our policies.”

7/8 We think the transparency of the hidden replies would allow the community to notice and call out situations where people use the feature to hide content they disagree with. We think this can balance the product experience between the original Tweeter and the audience.

— Michelle! (@thechelleshock) February 28, 2019

While the inclusion of more tools for users to self-moderate their feeds is always a welcome one, it still doesn’t address the most significant issues on the platform, or social media as a whole. YouTube has fairly robust self-moderation tools for creators and yet still finds itself in a recurring spotlight of child endangerment.

Twitter will have to continue to work on its own moderation and enforcement tools to ensure a safe place for the type of conversations it wants to foster.

Is this a feature you want to see on Twitter? Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.