Elon Musk has confirmed it: X (ex-Twitter) will soon change the way its block button works. If you block an account, it will still be able to see your public posts, even if it will not be able to interact with them. A change that will not please everyone and will undoubtedly encourage a little more harassment.
The end of the total blockage on X
Currently, when you block someone on X, they can no longer see your profile or tweets at all. They will see a “You are blocked” message when they try to access your account.
But that’s about to change. According to Elon Musk, “the block feature will prevent that account from interacting with you, but not from seeing your public posts.” Blocked people will no longer be able to reply to you, retweet you, or like your tweets, but they will still be able to view them. Elon Musk has been proclaiming his dislike for X’s “block” button for years now, and now he’s removing all interest in it.
A highly controversial step backwards
This isn’t the first time X/Twitter has attempted this kind of change. Back in 2013, the network relaxed its blocking feature, before quickly backtracking in the face of user outcry. Many people use blocking to protect themselves from harassment or abusive behavior.
High time this happened.
The block function will block that account from engaging with, but not block seeing, public post.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 23, 2024
While interactions will remain blocked, letting unwanted accounts access your public content could make cyberbullying easier for some. Musk owns up to this choice, saying that it was easy to bypass a block by logging out anyway. But the announcement is not going down well with many users who value this protection.
It remains to be seen when this change will be implemented and how the X community will react. One thing is for sure, the blocking function will no longer be as effective as before on Elon Musk’s social network.