This archive report was first published on 21 May 2020.
Published on May 21, 2020, Twitter announced a new feature that could change the way Kenyans on Twitter engage with each other. The feature, currently being tested with a small group of users, allows users to limit who can reply to their tweets.
According to Twitter Director of Product Management Suzanne Xie, the new feature aims to reduce unwanted replies and make conversations more meaningful. As Xie explained, 'Twitter is where you go to see and talk about what's happening. But sometimes, unwanted replies make it hard to have meaningful conversations.'
The feature works by presenting users with the option to select who can reply to their tweets when composing a tweet. Users can choose to allow replies from everyone, only their followers, or only the users mentioned in the tweet. This restriction does not affect who can see the tweet, as it will still be available to all users.
The ability to restrict tweet replies could have several benefits, including reducing abuse and offensive replies from unintended people. It could also be used to hold panel discussions or fireside chats on Twitter, where only specific users are allowed to reply.
As Xie clarified, 'People who can’t reply will still be able to view, retweet, retweet with comment and like these tweets.'
