Twitter has started its second health test in a day, and this one could be especially helpful if you’ve ever been exposed to online abuse. With a newly available web test, you can remove followers without blocking them. They disappear from their feed with no notifications that could trigger harassment and threats.
The social network didn’t say if or when it could introduce follower removal. However, this goes hand in hand with a number of anti-harassment and privacy projects, including a “safe mode” test and an experimental option to automatically archive tweets. It might just be a matter of time before tighter follower control becomes available to a wider audience.
This test can be particularly useful in combating abuse. Historically, Twitter users have typically had to report abusive accounts (and hope Twitter will take action) or block them and risk retaliation. This doesn’t prevent creeps from tracking your activity if you have a public account, but it could reduce the chance of an instant outrage.
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