Twitter launches tool for nailing spammers

Twitter added a tool that lets users flag accounts of spammers at the globally-popular microblogging service.

Hitting a "Report as spam" button newly added to the Action section of Twitter pages alerts Twitter's safety team to check out what, if anything, should be done about a purportedly abusive profile.

"Folks can now help us conquer spam by calling our attention to a profile they find questionable," Jenna Dawn of Twitter said in a blog post.

"Once you report a profile it will automatically be blocked from following or replying to you. You nailed it!"

Twitter opted not to automate the feature so it can't be used "to incite an angry mob against an account you don't like."

(c) 2009 AFP