Discord Arms Users With A Tool To Defend Against Trolls And Toxic Idiots

One of the biggest issues facing any social media platform is that a few toxic users can ruin the experience for many, quickly turning thel space into an environment no one wants to spend time in. In an effort to company situations like this, Discord is adding a new tool for users to better manage bad actors, and hopefully improve the overall user experience.

Users’ safety toolbox is getting stronger with the global rollout of the Ignore feature, which the company is describing as a way to “manage your social boundaries in a gentler way.” Applying the Ignore option to another user means that their activity, including messages and DMs, will be hidden, without them knowing. The fact that the other user won’t know is important, as more toxic users will often attempt to circumvent a block in various ways to harass the person that blocked them.


In addition to adding the Ignore feature, Discord is participating in a new effort to make social media in general a better experience. It has joined a consortium of organizations including Google, Roblox, and the James L. Knight Foundation to form ROOST, or Robust Open Online Safety Tools. The goal is to provide open-source tools to help smaller outfits better provide a safe environment for their users in a way that isn’t currently possible. There will even be dedicated teams available for technical support for organizations that need it.

This new safety feature is a big win for Discord users, especially for younger users who might not be comfortable with the more severe block option. However, the bigger win is with the formation of ROOST, which could be a major step forward toward making social media more user friendly than it currently is.