Twitter Introduces Hide Replies Feature; Global Rollout Soon

Twitter has launched a new feature where users will be able to hide replies from conversations. Twitter says the feature is meant to give users more control over their conversations to hide replies that are offensive or irrelevant. The social media giant tweeted that the feature is currently available in the US and Japan and a global rollout will be happening soon.

The new Twitter feature was initially released in Canada, where the company said it received positive results, allowing users to hide replies from trolls, for instance. If you wish to hide a reply, click on the grey downward arrow on the top-right corner of a tweet, where you'll find the option 'hide reply'. The bottom-right of the tweet shows another icon that indicates if any tweets are hidden and also presents the option to unhide it.

Starting today, this feature test will be available in Japan and the US.

Now, you can hide replies to your Tweet, so you have more control over your conversations. Want to see all the replies? View hidden replies in the dropdown menu or through a new icon in the original Tweet. https://t.co/bnOmSzCP2f

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) September 19, 2019

Twitter Hide Replies Feature: Positive Or Negative?

Twitter currently has 139 million users logging in every day and the hide reply feature currently has mixed reactions. Previously, users could either mute certain keywords so they wouldn't show up in their notifications or they could block specific users. But the option to control the flow of the tweet thread wasn't present.

Twitter believes the move will help curb hate speeches and trolls on social media platforms. While Twitter claims the feature will give more control to the users, critics argue that the feature will silence dissenting voices. It puts Twitter in a tight spot between free speech and curbing the spread of misinformation and hate speech. We'll know people's reaction once the feature hits a global rollout.