If you're a developer that wants to create tools for Twitter, today's your lucky day. The platform is now allowing developers back into its platform.
A recent report from Tech Crunch revealed that Twitter is launching an experiment that would allow developers to build on its platform to win back their trust. These experiments bore fruit in the form of third-party apps that prevents harassment.
The third-party apps in question are currently available, and their results can be found on the recently launched "Twitter Toolbox collection."
Twitter Third-Party Harassment Prevention Tools
According to Engadget's article, the third-party apps featured in the Twitter toolbox collection will be suggested by the app through surface recommendations when a user blocks or mutes another person. These apps, at least for now, are Block Party, Bodyguard, and Moderate.
Block Party is a tool that lets people block accounts likely to be the source of harassment automatically. Meanwhile, Bodyguard and Moderate could help Twitter users moderate replies and manage their mentions, respectively.
These tools were already available to users outside the app, but they have to search for them to avail of their services. However, with Twitter's new toolbox collection, these tools will now be automatically suggested through a non-intrusive prompt that contains various third-party services capable of providing more advanced levels of safety and protection whenever a user wants to block someone, manage their mentions, or moderate replies.
The toolbox collection also has other tools for users to use. It now has scheduling apps like Chirr App and measurements tools like Followerwonk in its arsenal.
Unfortunately, the Twitter toolbox collection is currently in its beta testing period, and as such, the tools were only displayed to select users.
Twitter first introduced the Toolbox on February 2, 2022, per the platform's Twitter Support page.
Twitter's Olive Branch to Developers
Twitter said that the idea to feature third-party apps through the Toolbox on its platform came from its discussions with the developer community, which told the company they wanted distribution so users could improve their experience on the platform while being aware of their product.
Amir Shevat, Twitter's head of product for its developer platform, mentioned that releasing Toolbox collection is "the first step in [Twitter] working with developers to actually enable those needs."
"We're very enthused about the opportunity to get in front of users who are really going to benefit from what they're doing," said Block Party founder and CEO Tracy Chou. "This way, we are much more directly getting in front of the people who want this kind of tooling.
Twitter's relationship with developers is a long and complicated one. During its earlier years, the company had largely been dishonest and capricious with the developer community, with Tech crunch citing the cancelled 2011 Chirp developer conference and its acquisition of its partners' competitor Gnip in 2014.
Whether or not Twitter will continue to extend this olive branch to developers is still a matter of debate given its history.
