Fixing Twitter for ourselves

A collective toolkit to block trolls and build new ownership

Get a better user experience on Twitter and other platforms

Use these tools to fight trolls and fix Twitter

Our goal is to fix Twitter for everyone. To do it right, we're centering survivors of hate speech and abuse in our organizing. This toolkit for self-defense can be used right away. Over time, we're building content moderation tools and techniques to model better behavior, and to own and control social media for ourselves. Join us!



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1. Secure yourself

Upgrade your security

  • Create a unique password for Twitter
  • Use two-factor authentication
  • Hide your account (Settings > Privacy and safety > Protect my Tweets)

For users without a blue checkmark or a million shares of stock, Twitter won’t likely help you out if your account gets compromised. Make sure that doesn’t happen.

If you have one password, it only takes one weak link for trolls to get in your face. Using two-factor authentication adds a layer of security, like sending a code via text message/SMS to your mobile phone that you enter to confirm it’s really you.

Other ways to be unique are also helpful for general online hygiene, which trolls hate! Consider your “linkability” - how linkable you are to other accounts on other platforms. Create a unique avatar, username, bio, and other parts of your digital self on Twitter. And definitely think twice about tweeting any indications of where you live or visit.

2. Automate your self-defense

Add blocking and bots

Imagine a tweet of yours catches fire, and boom - you’re being targeted. But without friendly terms of service or code of conduct, Twitter tends to favor bad people and bots.

Blocklists are everywhere. They’re lists meant to help identify trolls, bots, and other ungoverned scourges of Twitter. They’re also very simple: click to subscribe, and all is well. Entire communities of people create and maintain. You can make your own at BlockTogether.org! Another option is to delete old tweets, so you don't have to give anyone your information. There are tools like TweetDeleter you can use to delete and run on your computer that automate this stressful, repetitive task.

Blockbots are much more powerful. You can get one off-the-shelf like our favorite example, NaziBlocker, or you can make your own! This is what it takes for users to really improve governance on Twitter. All you need is a bit of script to handle algorithmic decision-making. That may sound complicated, but it basically breaks down to giving your bot instructions like, "if an account follows 1 or more of these 5 accounts, block them!"

Blocking troll after troll gets tiring. Like any effective social movement, our fight against harassment requires collective action!

3. Join our community

We're a collective of users creating tools and techniques for a happier, troll-free experience on Twitter and other platforms.

Twitter functions like a public media utility, but it is run by a privately owned company and a tonedeaf CEO. Its business model is driven by ad revenue, which depend on views, which feed off of controversy and hateful politics. As a result, Twitter’s trust and safety measures allow even the most organized and well-resourced forms hate speech. Until we as users have more power on Twitter, we need to build our own tools and interventions.

However, with our own collective governance we could rewrite the terms of service ourselves. If we create policies and practices for a superior user experience, workers at Twitter would be silly not to adopt them. By proving the advantages of user ownership and control, we can turn Twitter, Inc. into public utility like a cooperative, that works well for everyone.

Sign up! Secure yourself, block better, and be part of our supportive community.


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