Twitter Looks to Extend its Keyword Blocking and Mute Options to More Elements

Twitter’s looking to give users more control over the content they see in the app with a new expansion of its keyword blocking and mute tools, which will now apply beyond the main timeline.

As explained by Twitter:

“We’re working on some updates so keywords you’ve muted and accounts you’ve muted/blocked stay out of a few more places. First up, Events. Now across Android, iOS, and web, Events from accounts you’ve blocked or muted won’t appear in your Explore tab, “What’s happening” sidebar and emails, or Event-based notifications.”

That will provide users with additional assurance, and control, with more comprehensive blocking that will enable them to avoid topics and/or people that they don’t want to see, which will help improve the broader user experience.

Twitter’s limited blocking tools have long been an issue, with users reporting frustration that topics they don’t want to see continue to show up, even after they’ve blocked virtually every permutation of the related term/s.

Twitter has had issues with its systems in the past, which have let some of these blocked terms through, but the bigger problem is that muting and keyword blocking doesn’t apply to all elements.

Which is a loophole that Twitter’s now working to fix, beginning with Events, but soon extending to Explore, Spaces and more.

It’s a good, logical update for Twitter’s systems. And when you also consider the impacts that unwanted exposure on Twitter can have on people’s mental health, it’s an important refinement to its user control systems.

Really, it seems like it should have been a priority for some time, but either way, it’s good to see Twitter working to update its systems to ensure that any keyword blocks or muting that you put in place applies to all elements of the app.