Twitter 'Flock' Feature Would Share Tweets With Up to 150 Friends

pcmag.com:

Twitter is developing a new feature that lets users curate a list of specific people to receive certain tweets—a la Instagram's Close Friends.

First teased last summer, when it was still known as "Trusted Friends," the function is now called "Flock" and was recently spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi.

"Twitter continues to work on Twitter Flock by adding an explanation of how it works," he tweeted last week, highlighting the ability to choose up to 150 people. Only those users can view or reply to posts sent to your Flock; more importantly, none will be notified if they're removed from your list.

Based on screenshots by Paluzzi, it appears Twitter will provide an audience choice with each tweet: "Everyone" or your private "Flock," the latter of which may be edited at your discretion. And, just as Instagram denotes Close Friends Stories with a green ring, Twitter may include a label alerting folks to their status as a member of the author's Flock.

"Twitter is always working on new ways to help people engage in healthy conversations, and we're currently exploring ways to let people Tweet to smaller groups," a company spokesperson told PCMag.

"We previewed this concept last year as public feedback helps shape what we build," the statement continued. "We don't have any further details to share but more to come soon." The social network confirmed to The Verge that "Flock" is just a placeholder name, and may change again before a final version is released.

This isn't the social network's first foray into limited-interaction microblogging. In September, it began inviting folks to create and join Communities, where people can share interests and have relevant conversations. And while Community pages and timelines are