A common criticism that is levied against social media platforms is that they often make users subject to algorithms with respect to the content they consume. Such algorithms are concerning because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up forcing users to see content that is picked out for them rather than giving them control over it. It turns out that Twitter might be trying to change this with a new feature that it is working on.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that this feature is called Content Control Tools, as spotted by @wongmjane. The way it works is that third party applications will be given the ability to customize timelines for users based on their preferences. Algorithm based timelines have been a mainstay of the social media industry for several years now, and they have made it difficult for users to rely on their timelines without giving up personal data or private information.
Now, in spite of the fact that this is the case, users will still be using algorithms to optimize their timelines. However, the main difference here is that they can customize their algorithms instead of being held hostage by an algorithm that their chosen social media platform has set up for them. This is a positive move with all things having been considered and taken into account, and it might inspire other major platforms to make similar changes to their own user interfaces in the interests of transparency and the common public good.
Bringing third parties into the mix is often cited as one of the many ways in which social media platforms can improve user experiences across the board. This will raise a new issue of what third parties users are utilizing and how they use their data, but that will be a problem for a different day. For now, this update is going to be received very positively when it gets finally rolled out although it is currently unclear when this wider rollout might occur.
Read next: Twitter Is Pulling Out Employees From Some Major Consumer-Facing Functionalities Like Newsletters And Communities
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that this feature is called Content Control Tools, as spotted by @wongmjane. The way it works is that third party applications will be given the ability to customize timelines for users based on their preferences. Algorithm based timelines have been a mainstay of the social media industry for several years now, and they have made it difficult for users to rely on their timelines without giving up personal data or private information.
Now, in spite of the fact that this is the case, users will still be using algorithms to optimize their timelines. However, the main difference here is that they can customize their algorithms instead of being held hostage by an algorithm that their chosen social media platform has set up for them. This is a positive move with all things having been considered and taken into account, and it might inspire other major platforms to make similar changes to their own user interfaces in the interests of transparency and the common public good.
Bringing third parties into the mix is often cited as one of the many ways in which social media platforms can improve user experiences across the board. This will raise a new issue of what third parties users are utilizing and how they use their data, but that will be a problem for a different day. For now, this update is going to be received very positively when it gets finally rolled out although it is currently unclear when this wider rollout might occur.
Read next: Twitter Is Pulling Out Employees From Some Major Consumer-Facing Functionalities Like Newsletters And Communities
