Twitter has announced a change aimed at combating spam in users' inboxes amid its battle with the newly-launched Instagram Threads app.

Beginning on or after July 14, Twitter will introduce a new messages setting that will redirect messages from Verified users who aren't followed back to the "Message Request" inbox instead of the main inbox.

Only messages from accounts that users follow will appear in their primary inbox. Notably, these adjustments will apply to all users who allow messages from anyone.

Twitter DM Spam Problem Solution

Before, users could only receive Twitter DMs if they had enabled the option to receive messages from anyone in their account settings. Alternatively, Verified users (those who pay for a Twitter subscription) could send messages if the recipient had opted to receive Direct Messages from Verified users.

According to TechCrunch, the individuals who had previously exchanged DMs with each other could continue to message each other.

Starting as soon as July 14th, we’re adding a new messages setting that should help reduce the number of spam messages in DMs. With the new setting enabled, messages from users who you follow will arrive in your primary inbox, and messages from verified users who you don’t follow…

— Support (@Support) July 13, 2023

 

By moving messages from Verified users to the Message Request inbox (unless they are followed), Twitter acknowledges the issue of spamming by Verified accounts, which underscores a flaw in its new verification system.

Initially, verification signified that an account belonged to a public or notable figure such as a politician, celebrity, athlete, or journalist. However, by allowing anyone with a credit card to purchase the Verified badge, Twitter diluted the value of verification.

Related Article: Dutch Officials Discourage Using Twitter for Emergency Updates

Addressing Verified User Spam

Twitter's decision to redirect messages from Verified users to the Message Request inbox signifies an effort to address the problem of spam.

This move reflects the platform's recognition that its current verification system has allowed Verified users to inundate users' main inboxes with unwanted messages.

It's true that Elon Musk came up with a brilliant solution this time, but the fact that he permitted the Twitter Blue subscribers to DM anyone is plainly out of place.

While the new setting solves the DM spam problem that irks some users, Twitter says that they can "switch back at any time" if they wish.

The business tycoon highlighted that this implementation got rid of AI bots that flooded the platform. However, it did not entirely eliminate the spam messages in the users' inboxes.

Twitter Became Disorganized Since Musk's Tenure

Since Elon became the official boss of Twitter right after former CEO Jack Dorsey's departure, users believed that the platform became more messed up than ever.

From the "rate limit exceeded" error to tweets no longer showing up if a user logs out, the microblogging site is bombarded with criticisms centered on its features.

Read Also: Is Threads Destined to End Twitter? Here's Why It's Getting More Love