Twitter announced that it is making a couple of changes to how users control the third-party apps that they use with the service. The initiative they’re dubbing “Mission: Permission” centers around the concepts of more control for users and a more detailed permissions screen.

“Beginning today, we’re giving you more control over what information you share with third-party applications,” says Twitter’s Jodi Olson.  “Apps that you use to access your direct messages will ask for your permission again. By the end of the month, applications that do not need access to your direct messages will no longer have it, and you can continue to use these apps as usual.”

“When you first connect an application to Twitter, we’ll give you more detailed information about what you’re allowing the app to do with your account,” says Olson. “These activities may include reading your Tweets, seeing who you follow, updating your profile, posting Tweets on your behalf, or accessing your direct messages. If you’re not comfortable with the level of access an application requests, simply say ‘No, thanks’.”

@twitterglobalpr
Twitter CommsGiving users and developers more clarity & control with 3rd party Twitter apps. http://blog.twitter.com/2011/05/mission-permission.html 21 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto

Twitter doesn’t come up in the privacy conversation as much as some of its peers, and that’s most likely because Twitter is generally thought of as a more open and public medium (though it certainly doesn’t have to be used that way). Still, it is always nice to see improvements.

Users can always check the “applications” page in their Twitter account to see all of the applications they’re connected to, and make changes from there.