Social media platform Twitter has announced plans to allow users to send direct messages to people other than those they follow All Things D reported.
"You can now receive DM's from anyone who follows you, without you following them," marketing blogger Jim Connolly said in a post on his Twitter page. "Just saw this in settings."
The new feature will still enable celebrities, and public figures to utilize the service as a means for sending personal messages to those close to them, instead of a communication tool for fans.
"Generally, you must follow someone before they have the ability to direct message you," the company says in a message when users log in to access their account. "If you check this option, any twitter user that follows you will be able to send you a DM, regardless of whether you decide to follow them back."
There might also be a "stand-alone direct messaging application that is completely different from the Twitter app. However, the company is still figuring out what it wants to do with its direct messaging service.
The company has started to make the new option public in a restricted capacity in the meantime All Things D reported.
"People complain all the time about bad customer service experiences over Twitter," Connolly told ABC News. "Now, those grievances can be dealt with privately from the business end. Pretty much every sizeable brand has a social media team. They now have a tool that they couldn't have dreamed of before to help them. If it had been an opt out option, it would have been mayhem. "I've had about 150 DMs. One hundred percent of them have been legitimate. No spam. No weird people. Just people who know who I am."
Consumers can select the option in their account settings.
