Twitter rolls out new feature that enables users to control replying

Twitter has rolled out a new feature that enables users to control who can reply to their tweets.

"Since your Tweet = your space, we've been testing new settings to give people more control over the conversations they start. Sometimes people are more comfortable talking about what's happening when they can choose who can reply. We've seen people use these settings to have conversations that weren't really possible before. Starting today, everyone will be able to use these settings so unwanted replies don't get in the way of meaningful conversations," Suzanne Xie, Director of Product Management, said in a statement.

Before users tweet, they can choose who can reply with three options: everyone (standard Twitter, and the default setting), only people you follow, or only people you mention.

Xie said tweets with the latter two settings will be labeled and the reply icon will be grayed out for people who can't reply. People who can't reply will still be able to view, Retweet, Retweet with Comment, share, and like these Tweets.