Twitter introduced a new feature that gives users more control over who can interact with them, essentially allowing users to “softly block” their own followers.
The feature is currently available to anyone using Twitter on the web – it is not yet known when it will be available for the app. To remove a follower, go to your profile and click on “Followers”. Click on the three dots next to your name and select “Remove this follower”.
This action removes the user from your followers without being notified of the removal – however, according to Twitter, the account can follow you again in the future. Once removed, the account will no longer be able to see your Tweets in its history, but direct messages can be sent.
We make it easier for you to be the curator of your own follower list. Try it on the web now: remove a follower without blocking it. To remove a follower, go to your profile and click on “Follower”, then on the three-dot icon and select “Remove this follower”. pic.twitter.com/2Ig7Mp8Tnx7. September 2021
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Why we need a way to remove followers
The ability to remove followers is part of a bigger effort by Twitter not only to suppress trolls, but to allow users to better curate their own experiences on the social media platform.
Last month, a new Safe Mode feature for testers began rolling out – an algorithm that identifies accounts sending abuse or repeated mentions to other users and automatically bans them for seven days.
While users may want to directly block other accounts harassing them online, the ability to remove followers or “gently block” them is perhaps a way to create a comfortable space for yourself online. It limits who can see your Tweets on their feed and helps avoid the confrontation that a tough block can bring.
Given the recent Wall Street Journal report that Facebook is aware of Instagram’s negative impact on teenage mental health, there should be a strong focus on how social media platforms can better serve, rather than harm, their audiences.
The ability to remove followers is small and long overdue, but no less a step in the right direction.
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