In time for Stop Cyberbullying Day on June 17, social networking platform Twitter shared some of its features that will help users keep their online environment safe.

Twitter is witness to some of the most memorable and historic events in various sectors and industries. Different types of people find Twitter to be a space that allows them to express their thoughts and themselves. But not everyone can be nice and there are some that might have exploited the platform.

Controlling DMs and replies

Parents always tell their kids to don’t talk to strangers. Grown-ups can probably learn from this and keep unknown personalities at bay. Before hitting the tweet button, there is a feature wherein the poster can limit those who can reply to the tweet. From the default setting “Everyone can reply,” click the one next to a globe icon in the compose Tweet box, then choose from Everyone, People You Follow, or Only People You Mention.

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To minimize the risk of unsolicited messages, spam, or be added into groups with people they do not know, users can opt to receive direct messages only from people they know. They can disable the Allow Messages requests from everyone’s function in the Privacy and Safety settings.

Blocking and reporting

Instead of engaging with people who are disrespectful, users can mute or block those accounts. Blocked means these people won’t be able to find you on Twitter, even your replies to some accounts are hidden.

Twitter said that it aims to provide an environment where people feel safe expressing themselves, by making it easy to report abusive behavior. Reporting Tweets to Twitter starts an investigation into Tweets and/or accounts.

This feature also allows users to report accounts peddling fake news.

Muting

There are topics or personalities whose tweets or news about them can be exasperating at times. Or if users just want to tune out from certain issues that could drain their energy or affect their mental health, Twitter has this feature wherein users can mute specific words, hashtags, usernames, and emojis from their timeline.

Go to Settings then Content Preferences where users will find Muted then Muted Words or Muted Accounts.