Twitter cracks down on repeat offenders -- stops the creation of new abusive accounts

Twitter has long had an abuse and harassment problem, which has put off a lot of would-be users. Over the years the company has taken steps to try to combat the issue, but with very limited success.

However, Twitter is now working hard make the service a more friendly place -- just last week it improved how users report abusive tweets. Today, the company goes even further, and introduces three new changes designed to silence the trolls.

Firstly, Twitter will now prevent the creation of new abusive accounts. Anyone who has been permanently suspended will no longer be able to simply create a new account and continue where they left off. How successful Twitter will be in this regard remains to be seen.

Secondly, the company is introducing safer search results. Potentially sensitive content and tweets originating from blocked and muted accounts will be removed from search results. They won’t be removed from Twitter, so you’ll still be able to find them if you want.

Finally, Twitter will identify and and collapse potentially abusive and low-quality replies to tweets. They won’t be removed, just hidden.

Announcing the changes, Twitter says:

In the days and weeks ahead, we will continue to roll out product changes -- some changes will be visible and some less so -- and will update you on progress every step of the way. With every change, we’ll learn, iterate, and continue to move at this speed until we’ve made a significant impact that people can feel.

We’re listening and want your feedback so we can learn faster, build smarter, and make meaningful progress.

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