Twitter launches 'report abuse' button for Android and the web

Twitter has introduced new features today including a "report abuse" button for Android-based devices and web browsers following public backlash over U.K. public figures who received abusive messages.

When Caroline Criado-Perez lead a campaign to place a female figure -- apart from the Queen -- on British banknotes, she alongside a British MP became the target of abusive communication on Twitter. Internet "trolls" -- those who post abuse purely for the reaction -- threatened to bomb or rape Perez, which prompted calls for better abuse reporting processes and a clampdown on such behavior online.

In a blog post, the microblogging platform said it has updated the company's iOS, Android apps and Twitter.com itself to make abuse reporting easier.

Users can now follow conversations through a timeline feature which highlights exchanges in chronological order, separating them with blue lines. Tapping a tweet will reveal replies to a message, including from those users don't follow.

Now users are better able to see messages as they are sent, if abusive or threatening exchanges take place, individual tweets can be reported directly through a single button -- removing the once long process of submitting complaints through the Twitter help center.

Individual tweets can now also be shared over email, and if you are on Android, you can share tweets through direct messaging.

Via: Twitter

Image credit: ZDNet

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com