Twitter adds new options to curb abuse, harassment

A smartphone display shows the Twitter logo in Berlin, Germany on Feb. 2, 2013. (AP / Soeren Stache)

NEW YORK -- Twitter, long criticized as a hotbed for online harassment, is expanding ways to curb the amount of abuse users see and making it easier to report such conduct.

Twitter says it is expanding a "mute" function that lets users mute accounts they don't want to see tweets from. Now, users will be able to mute keywords, phrases and conversations they don't want to get notifications about. Users who decide to mute things won't see them.

But these words, phrases and conversations will continue to exist on Twitter, and anyone who doesn't mute it will continue to see it. But Twitter Inc. said Tuesday it is also making it easier to report hateful conduct. It says also re-trained its support teams about its policies and hateful conduct.