Twitter has started rolling out a new feature that lets users remove “@” mentions of them from any tweets or threads.
In June 2021, Twitter privacy designer Dominic Camozzi teased the feature as a “concept” that would allow you to untag your username throughout a thread, prevent you from being mentioned again in that conversation, and prevent further notifications.
In August, Camozzi said users responded that the term “unmention” was confusing, so the design was tweaked and the name rebranded as “Leave this conversation.”
The Twitter Safety account has posted about Unmentioning, indicating that the service is available on Twitter’s web platform for select users and describing it as “a way to help you protect your peace and remove yourself from conversations.”
Anyone with the test feature can select the three-dot menu next to a reply to pull up a prompt offering to “leave this conversation”. The pop-up explains that leaving the conversation will untag you in the replies, though your username will still appear.
This feature prevents you from being tagged in any replies or receiving further notifications after you untag your handle. Though you can still view the conversation, using the Unmention feature turns your username grey. Currently, you can’t undo the action after leaving a conversation.
There’s no word yet on when Twitter’s app will support the feature.
Unmention is just one of Twitter’s latest efforts to give users more control over their accounts, following its announcement that it will test editable tweets on its premium subscription service, Twitter Blue.
Since September, Twitter has been testing an anti-abuse feature called Safety Mode – a setting that users facing harassment can turn on to filter abuse. Within Safety Mode, Twitter analyses interactions and algorithmically blocks accounts sending abuse your way, saving victims from spending hours sorting through hate-filled replies and blocking accounts by hand. The platform extended the test in February and continues to collect feedback on the system it designed to filter online abuse at scale.
Twitter has been building out anti-abuse features, offering users new tools like the ability to designate who can reply to a tweet (all of Twitter, users they follow or just accounts they mention). This comes after years of inaction.
Aside from its anti-abuse tools, Twitter seems to be leaning toward giving users more flexibility and power over their accounts. Developer Kevin Marks noted in a blog post that Twitter had started erasing embeds of deleted tweets, leaving only a blank box in their place. Previously, even if a tweet was deleted, the content remained on any web page the tweet had been embedded on.
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