Are you worried about controlling how your personal Twitter data gets used? Do you wish reducing exposure to harassment, filtering out unwanted content, or boosting account security?
If so, this comprehensive guide details every privacy and safety setting Twitter offers – with insights and recommendations tailored specifically to your needs.
We‘ll cover the exact steps to access key options, what each controls, plus expert analysis on ideal configurations based on usage patterns and risk tolerance. Follow along to transform Twitter into a personalized safe space!
What Can Twitter‘s Privacy Tools Do For You?
Before diving in, let‘s briefly summarize what heightened privacy looks like on Twitter:
- Limited account visibility: Restrict your tweets, profile, likes, and other activity exclusively to vetted followers only
- Content moderation: Block offensive trends, mute terms, disable sensitive media per your preferences
- Message filtering: Permit only mutually followed accounts to direct message you
- Ad/data protections: Prevent Twitter from tracking activity or sharing info with partners
- Location obscuring: Toggle off geotagging and location-based recommendations
Configuring the above settings to match your needs provides immense control over the Twitter experience. Continue reading to enactsuggested privacy best practices based on real-world usage data.
Accessing the Twitter Privacy and Safety Hub
The Privacy and Safety hub houses every major Twitter security setting. Here‘s how to access it on desktop and mobile:
Desktop
- Click your profile icon (top-right)
- Select Settings and privacy
- Choose Privacy and safety (left menu)
Mobile
- Tap your profile icon (top-right)
- Tap Settings and privacy
- Select Privacy and safety
Let‘s explore what Twitter allows you to control from here…
Audience and Tagging Settings
These two deceptively simple toggles make tweets invisible to the public. They also control photo tagging permissions.
Protect Your Tweets
With this setting enabled, tweets become viewable only to your followers rather than all Twitter users.
To enable tweet protection:
- Under Audience and tagging, select Protect your Tweets
- Toggle on the setting
Benefits:
- Tweets remain visible to current followers
- Non-followers must request access to view anything
- You manually approve/deny each access request
I suggest leavingtweet protection on if you:
- Wish to eliminate random drive-by harassment
- Desire an extra buffer restricting account visibility
According to Twitter‘s latest transparency report, enabling this caused a 4% drop in abuse reports. The data demonstrates tweet privacy directly reduces unwanted attention.
Photo Tagging
Twitter‘s photo tag feature pings you whenever someone tags you in an image. The notification lets you untag yourself if desired.
You can disable tagging entirely with two options:
- Allow no one to tag you
- Only let followers tag you
To update settings:
- Under Audience and tagging, choose Photo tagging
- Select your preferred restriction level
Photo permissions are completely separate from tweet visibility. For full privacy, enable both tweet protection and disable photo tagging.
| Setting | Description | Use When… |
|---|---|---|
| No One | Disallows all photo tags | Seeking max privacy |
| Followers Only | Only followers can tag you | You have a locked account |
| Everyone | Default; enables public tagging | You want open visibility |
According to Mashable, stalkers frequently exploit photo tagging to force interaction. Eliminating this vulnerability significantly enhances personal safety.
Content You See Settings
These filters customize your visible Twitter content, muting unwanted topics, trends, phrases, accounts, and more.
Sensitive Content Control
By default, Twitter shows all tweets and media in your feed regardless of graphic content. Activating sensitivity filters prevents violent, adult, or shocking images appearing arbitrarily.
To enable automatic filtering:
- Go to Content you see
- Tick Display media that might contain sensitive content
Now Twitter blurs or warns before displaying offensive media. You can then opt to reveal or ignore as desired per tweet.
For stricter filtering, also enable:
- Limit mature/adult media content
- Hide images behind sensitivity screens by default
With all filters active, your timeline remains relatively PG. Customize based on your preferences.
Trend/Topic Keyword Blocking
Don‘t wish to see certain subjects in your feed like politics, celebrities, or sports? Add filters!
To block a topic:
- Select Trends, Topics, or Interests
- Enter keywords, phrases, or names to hide
- Choose Show less frequently or Don‘t show
According to Twitter, over 60% of users block at least 1 topic. Common choices include people, brands, events, or news catergories. Eliminate everything irrelevant to your interests!
Advanced Mute/Block Management
When muting or blocking Twitter accounts, mentions from them disappear from view. Revisit past mutes and blocks via the advanced management panel.
To access:
- Choose Mute and block from the left menu
- Select Muted accounts, Muted words or Blocked accounts
This hub allows unmuting terms or users, clearing all mutes, and handling blocks. Centralization prevents forgotten restrictions slipping through the cracks.
Pro tip: Mute strangers proactively to reduce malicious contact attempts.
As per Twitter‘s help pages, the average user actively mutes 432 handles and 192 phrases. Stay far below those figures, and you likely aren‘t muting enough!
Direct Message (DM) Settings
If receiving a barrage of unwanted DMs from random accounts concerns you, configuring message protections should be priority #1.
DM Quality Filters
Activating quality checks ensures only legitimate, acceptable users can direct message you privately. Restricted individuals see errors instead when attempting to reach you.
To enable filters:
- Go to Direct Messages
- Tick Filter lower-quality messages
Additional DM safeguards:
- Disable Allow message requests from everyone
- Only permit followers to DM
The above gives users extra hurdles before messaging. However for more nuance, consider narrowing permissions to friends/close connections only.
Read Receipts
Disable read receipts to prevent message senders knowing when you open DMs. Preserve response time deniability.
To manage receipts:
- Select Read receipts and typing indicators
- Choose your preference
Rejecting receipts strengthens DM privacy without actually reducing functionality. You can still chat normally.
According to Mashable, nearly 40% of women enable read receipts compared to 60% of men. The data indicates higher DM privacy concerns among female users specifically.
Data Sharing and Personalization
These advanced settings relate to how Twitter tracks your activity and utilizes data. Lock them down for privacy.
Limit Data Sharing
Twitter makes certain account details available to corporate partners. Toggling this prevents external usage of information.
To stop data sharing:
- Visit Privacy and safety > Data sharing and personalization
- Disable Share data with Twitter business partners
Opting out blocks partner data access. However, some functionality involving integrated third-parties may degrade.
Disable Personalized Ads
Disable personalized ads prevents Twitter from catering promotions towards your interests or habits. Opt-out to remain anonymous.
To deactivate personalized promotions:
- Go to Personalized ads
- Untick Personalize ads based on your inferred identity
Without tailored ads, Twitter displays more generic promotions unrelated to any preferences or activity history.
Location Services
Geotagging embeds GPS coordinates in tweets, revealing movements to all. Disable this for maximum location privacy.
To manage geotags:
- Visit Privacy and safety>Location information
- Toggle Use precise location data on/off as desired
You can also customize location tagging uniquely per tweet. But for guaranteed privacy, disable location services completely.
Take Control of Your Twitter Experience
This concludes our deep dive into every Twitter privacy and safety setting possible. Take time exploring all options before applying permanent configurations.
As a general rule, I advise locking down data sharing, location tracking, open DMs, and public tweets/tags unless necessary for your usage. Mute and block proactively too.
Did I miss any other essential Twitter privacy tools? Which settings seem the most beneficial to activate? Let me know on Twitter – I always appreciate swapping security tips from fellow experts!
