Threads, Meta’s microblogging platform, is testing spoiler text, according to a post from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Spoiler text refers to words (or images) that are grayed out in a post and only become readable if you manually click to see them. As the name suggests, spoiler text is often used on platforms like Discord or Reddit to help people communicate about new movies, TV shows, or books without accidentally revealing plot points and twists for people who aren’t caught up.
This is a nice quality-of-life upgrade on the user side, but it also helps Meta by encouraging more conversations about pop culture without people worrying about spoiling others.
“Popular shows like ‘The Last of Us’ and ‘The White Lotus’ regularly trended on Threads during their seasons, a clear sign of the app’s growing community of entertainment and pop culture enthusiasts,” Meta said in a press release.
Spoiler text can also be useful in other circumstances, like blurring out text or images that aren’t violative, but still might be off-putting to some users. (Looking at my friend who shares #BruiseWatch updates after their Frisbee games.)
As a feature that’s currently in testing, spoiler text/images have not rolled out to all users. For those who have it, text or images can be marked as spoilers by highlighting them before posting, then selecting “mark spoiler” from the menu that appears.
