Twitter auto-crop removed: Site shows pictures in full, potentially leading users to see sensitive images

Site has already warned users to check their settings, and to turn on the its tools for blocking sensitive content if they wish

Twitter logo is displayed at the entrance of Twitter headquarters in San Francisco (KIMIHIRO HOSHINO/AFP/Getty Images)

Twitter has turned off its auto-cropping tool for pictures, potentially exposing them to seeing pictures that they never chose to look at.

Previously the site collapsed images, allowing people to either move past them or to click them and have them expand to their full size. But now the pictures will begin at that full size, meaning that people won’t ever need to click.

But it could also mean that big pictures of potentially sensitive content will be seen. Previously, users might have seen the small preview and opted not to click — but that will no longer show up.

Twitter does have technology that can scan through pictures and check for those that might be sensitive. It also allows users to report pictures as such.

When one of Twitter’s methods recognises that a picture has sensitive content in it, it offers up a warning and requires people to click and say that they are sure they wish to see the picture. In some cases, Twitter might opt to remove the photo altogether.

Twitter does seem to be aware of that danger, and is posting warnings in users’ timelines instructing them to ensure that they have their settings up-to-date, so that warnings will be shown if they are required.

The site said that it was making the change so that people could see pictures more fully.

“Starting today, we’re making your twitter.com timeline more immersive by uncropping photos, so you can experience and present them as they were meant to be viewed,” Twitter’s blogpost announcing the change reads.

The company also announced that it would change the way that tweets with a number of photos in would show.

“We’re also introducing larger, more beautiful multi-photo displays, which bring out more of each photo.”

Twitter explicitly linked the change to autoplaying video. That feature had the same issue, and also led to complaints that videos were stealing up bandwidth — though it was useful in many ways, helping to make the Twitter feed load more quickly.