The social media giant X, formerly known as Twitter until Tesla CEO Elon Musk acquired it in 2023, has announced that its longstanding block feature will change.
A standard feature on most social media apps, block features normally allow users to prevent other accounts from viewing or engaging with their posts or sending private messages.
But under X's newly revamped block policy, blocked users have regained the ability to view posts without any engagement options. Only users with private profiles can completely hide posts from other users.
Responses to the announcement have been decidedly mixed. According to TechCrunch, Twitter's co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey agrees with Musk's logic, which is that public posts should remain visible to all users. In addition, it gives users the chance to see if the people who blocked them are sharing harmful or private information about them.
Tracy Chou, who founded the anti-harassment tool Block Party, argues that the new rules make it harder for users to avoid unwanted contact from others.
Others have warned that the move will embolden bad actors.
X users do have the option of switching to "Protected Posts," which makes posts visible only to followers.