Chief Executive Dick Costolo initially sought to address the mounting criticism by saying on Twitter that the new features were widely requested by victims of abuse.
But many were not convinced. Within hours, the service was flooded with angry users, including many who did not understand the nuances of the new policy, and hundreds had signed an online petition to reverse the change.
“New @twitter block policy is like a home security system that instead of keeping people out puts a blindfold on YOU when they come in,” said user @edcasey.
“‘Just ignore them & they’ll stop’ is a dangerous thing to say to bullied kids & a dangerous thing to say to stalked/harassed Twitter users,” wrote @red3blog, another user.
Keeping abuse in check is a key issue for the company, which needs to keep hold of existing users and attract hundreds of millions of new ones to justify the stratospheric valuation that investors have placed on its stock.
Twitter shares have risen 35 percent to $55.33 the past two weeks on investor expectations that the company can sustain its growth for years and mature into an internet powerhouse.
The changes were announced Thursday after the market close.
The company’s swift about-face similarly drew an outpouring of relief.
“The people have spoken and Twitter listened, thanks,” said user @samar_ismail.
The controversy highlighted Twitter’s dilemma over how it should police the freewheeling service or stamp out abuse.
Twitter, which once espoused a radically hands-off approach to moderating content, was pressed in August to strengthen its “report abuse” functions after two high-profile women in the United Kingdom, feminist and journalist Caroline Criado-Perez and Labour Party politician Stella Creasy, were subjected to a deluge of death and rape threats.
Twitter’s top executive in the U.K., Tony Wang, and Del Harvey, the head of its trust and safety team, issued personal apologies to the women after revising Twitter’s rules.