Elon Musk Announces Removal of Blocking Feature for X Users, Formerly Known as Twitter.
Elon Musk, CEO of X (formerly Twitter), has revealed plans to eliminate the blocking feature for users, citing its lack of practicality. Musk clarified that users will still retain the ability to prevent direct messages from specific individuals, though.
However, this decision has sparked widespread concern across social media platforms. Many users fear that without the blocking feature, combating abusive content on their timelines will become considerably more challenging.
This move is just one in a series of alterations made by Musk since his $44 billion acquisition of the platform last year. Presently, blocking an account prevents its posts from appearing in the blocker’s timeline, and vice versa. Moreover, blocked accounts cannot send messages to the blocker nor view their posts.
Even Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s former founder, seemed to support Musk’s choice, endorsing a “mute-only” approach. Nonetheless, apprehensions exist that muting an account might not provide adequate safeguards against harassment, abuse, or stalking.
The current mute function only suppresses notifications related to an account’s posts. A muted account can still access the muter’s posts and reply to them.
Critics have labeled Musk’s decision a “significant misstep,” emphasizing that the platform harbors “toxic individuals” whom users wish to avoid interacting with entirely.
It’s important to consider that the elimination of the blocking feature might breach terms and conditions set by platforms such as Apple’s App Store and Google Play. Both platforms require social media apps to offer tools for filtering out harassment and bullying.
Consequently, X’s availability on these stores could be jeopardized if this policy is implemented. The implications of this decision also raise questions about the status of previously blocked accounts once the change takes effect.
However, users do possess the alternative of privatizing their accounts, restricting their tweets to approved followers and shielding them from public view.
Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest individual, has orchestrated a series of transformations since his takeover of the platform, including dismissing the company’s top executives and introducing a fee for access to the platform’s “blue tick” verification feature.
