Twitter’s decision to allow anyone to pay for verification may have unleashed a wave of spam into people’s inboxes.
To put an end to unwanted messages, Elon Musk’s platform is implementing a new change that could result in users missing important messages from people they don’t follow.
Here’s what you need to know about Twitter’s new direct messaging update.
How direct messages are changing on Twitter
On Friday, Twitter began implementing a new setting that moves messages from verified accounts you don’t follow back to your message requests inbox.
In order to respond to senders of these messages, you’ll now have to approve the message first. But that’s if you see it in the first place.
You see, the problem is that most people don’t check their message requests on Twitter because they don’t get notifications for them. Think of it like Twitter’s version of a spam or junk inbox.
In the past, you would have to opt in to receive direct messages from people you do not follow and verified users. People could also message you if you’d previously sent them a message first.
Now, verified users you don’t follow will go straight to your message requests inbox by default, irrespective of your original settings.
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…
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) July 13, 2023
On the one hand, this could prevent your direct messages getting clogged up with junk. But it could also lead to important messages from verified users being buried in your message requests inbox.
Fortunately, you can reverse the change, which is especially useful for people who want anyone to be able to message them on Twitter.
How to change your direct message settings
To control who can direct message you on Twitter, go to your settings>privacy and safety>direct messages.
Here you can choose from the following three settings: “Allow messages only from people you follow”, which means you won’t receive any message requests; allow message requests only from Verified users, which is the default option since last week; and “allow message requests from everyone”.
The latter is the setting you should select if you want to receive messages from verified users as normal.
However, there may be a good reason to keep those messages in the junk folder.
Why is Twitter changing direct messages?
By sending verified users’ messages to the requests inbox, Twitter is implying that these messages are mainly junk.
Whereas in the past verification was only granted to high-profile users, the status is now available to anyone after Twitter allowed people to pay for it.
As a result, scammers quickly latched on to it as a way of reaching users who they’d previously been blocked from interacting with thanks to Twitter’s direct messaging filters.
The risks associated with Twitter’s Blue subscription service emerged immediately after its botched launch, with people impersonating businesses and spamming people with crypto schemes.
But that doesn’t mean that everyone is using a blue badge to con others. Many legitimate accounts may have subscribed to Twitter Blue for its verification and additional perks. Seeing as Twitter is used by some people to network and find work, the new setting could result in important messages being diverted to your spam folder.
Hopefully releasing the update this week.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 11, 2023
As I’ve said many times, it is increasingly difficult to distinguish between AI bots. Soon, it will be impossible.
The only “social networks” that survive will be those that require verification. The payment system is a means of…
Twitter’s latest change follows another major update to direct messages in June.
At the time, Musk said the ability to message people you don’t follow would be limited to paying users subscribed to Twitter Blue. The move was part of the company’s broader push to monetise more parts of its platform following a dip in advertising revenue.
