Twitter began to offer a new functionality that, on this occasion, is not focused on new communication channels or on generating income. The latter seems to be an obsession between Super Follows, the integration of Revue or the tickets to access the audio rooms. The new social network of the little blue bird is the Safe Mode. So we are going to explain what exactly it is, how it works and how you can activate it.
Twitter and the user experience
For Twitter and any other social network, the top priority should always be user safety. And we do not mean by that that your access data and other published content are kept in accordance with the privacy options that you have decided to apply. For example, if your profile is public or not, if you share through private messages or on the timeline, etc. All this is important and assumes that it is taken care of from the first moment, but it is also necessary that the user experience be safe in relation to the interaction with other users.
In the particular case of Twitter, ensuring these interactions is not easy. Because it is a social network where millions and millions of users connect every day. And that means that a simple tweet can be amplified in a matter of minutes, reaching a number of people difficult to imagine. Which is a problem, because not everyone is going to think the same. So it is very easy to receive negative reactions and even come to insults, hate comments and other negative messages.
To avoid all that is what Twitter has created this Safe Mode. With which they seek to guarantee a healthy experience for their users. So let's go in parts and give answers to the questions that you are surely asking yourself at the moment about what, how and why.
What is Twitter Safe Mode
Let's start with the basics, what exactly is this Twitter safe mode. Well then, as its name indicates, it is a mode or function that enables a series of protections to be activated with which the user can avoid negative comments and other types of interactions that could pose a problem in terms of the experience of using the platform.
In other words, all comments that use language that is potentially harmful to the user will be automatically blocked. So from insults to hate comments, replies and repetitive mentions, etc. Anything unwanted will not be seen by the user who makes use of this new security mode.
How Twitter Safe Mode protects the user
This is a complex section, although not much more than others. For starters, the automated protection offered by Twitter will last for about seven days. That is the time that they will have considered that certain tweets may be generating negative interactions for the person who posted it.
Now, knowing that this mode would be activated for a particular tweet for a week, the next thing is knowing that to filter all these reactions, a series of filters and algorithms will be used to determine what is right and what is wrong. Even also to block all those accounts so that their messages do not appear to you.
Sure, that's fine at first, but how do you decide if a particular account's reaction is actually harmful or not? Well then, Twitter will take into account the relationship that the user has with whom you comment That is, if they are profiles that follow each other or that maintain a certain interaction, those responses, comments, etc., would not be blocked at first. Because we already know that there are users who keep certain tones somewhat raised and that is not why they are being insulted in a harmful way.
For the rest of the accounts that do not follow that user or that arrive punctually to the tweet, the measures would apply and if it is considered that they could be negative comments, they are blocked. What's more, the account itself would be automatically blocked. Although here Twitter will give the user the option to manually reverse the block, so that they can check if there was an error in the criteria.
Therefore, the solution or, rather, the way to apply it is not bad in itself, but it will have to be analyzed well in real situations and not in something theoretical.
Who can use Twitter Safe Mode
At the moment the new Twitter Safe Mode is available to a small group of users from the social network. They will not only enjoy the new tool, but will also take care of giving the first feedback in real use situations.
Thus, the platform will be able to adjust those parameters that it deems necessary to make it a useful feature and not just an idea that was born with good intentions and poor execution. But for now, only those who use the network in English will have the chance to start testing this option. Something that will be available both in the iOS and Android apps and on the Twitter.com website.
How to enable Twitter Safe Mode
Taking into account that it will be a feature that is going to be activated progressively, to make use of it you will have to be patient. But while you can check if by any chance for you it is already active or not.
For enable Twitter Safe Mode you would have to do the following:
- Open the Twitter application on iOS, Android or access the platform via the web
- Go to Settings and then Settings and privacy
- Within this option go to Privacy and security
- There you will find the option to activate Safe Mode and also to check which accounts have been automatically blocked, in case you want to revert any
An effective solution or another problem?
Well now the big question is to know to what extent Will this feature be effective or not? implemented by Twitter. Crisis will continue to exist and avoiding all negative comments will be very difficult.
The interesting thing would be that within the average satisfaction was good. It is true that there will always be that debate to what extent this could be considered censorship or not. I suppose that there everyone will have to form their own opinion of it, but for those who do not have much experience in managing this type of incident that is becoming more common on networks, it can be a good lifesaver.