Are social networks trying to put the accent on close, intimate connections? Twitter has unveiled a public test for a new option called Circle, which appears to be headed in that direction. The option allows users to share their tweets with a restricted circle -- not unlike a feature already present on Instagram.
On social networks, close connections and intimate circles are increasingly a key focus. While Instagram has been developing its "Close Friends" option since 2018, which lets users share a story only with a predefined list of friends, Twitter has, in turn, now unveiled a similar option. On Twitter, it's tweets that are concerned. Previously announced with the temporary name of "Flock," the option will ultimately be called "Circle" and is now launched in a public test. The purpose is to be able to share messages with a circle of friends of up to 150 people -- a kind of private discussion without having to go through the "private message" function. When publishing a tweet within a "circle," a mention will indicate to users who are part of the restricted list that the message is visible only to them.
The social network already launched similar options allowing users to choose which users can comment and "like" tweets. It's a means of reducing harassment on the platform, which has been widely criticized for promoting online hate. The platform also announced in 2021 that it was considering an option called "Facets," allowing users to create several categories under the same profile in order to share tweets with certain selected accounts, without having to create several different profiles. The option was floated as a possible option along with "Communities" and "Trusted Friends" back in 2021.
The question of privacy and closed groups on social networks has become an increasingly important issue for both platforms and users, in search of a less toxic environment. While it is not yet possible to publish content in the news feed that is only visible to a list of friends on Instagram, TikTok already offers users the possibility of publishing a video that is only visible to "friends," i.e., subscribers to whom the user is subscribed.
