Weeks after announcing a controversial update to its blocking feature, X has finally started rolling it out to users. Previously, when a user blocked someone, that account’s tweets became invisible, but now, those tweets will still appear in the user’s timeline.
Although the social media giant has allowed tweets from blocked accounts to appear on the timeline, blocked users won’t be able to interact with them with likes, replies or reposts.
However, private tweets are still hidden from other users, whether blocked or unblocked.
As expected, users were not particularly happy about Elon Musk-owned X’s decision. Many users also said that X has deliberately allowed stalking on the platform.
X’s reasoning doesn’t hold up for many users, especially given the platform’s existing privacy tools. These tools allow users to switch to a private account and control who views their posts.
Critics argue that this change undermines the primary purpose of blocking: to create distance and control over unwanted interactions.
They also claim that determined users can always create alternative accounts to circumvent blocking; the friction created by the current blocking mechanism remains important.
X claims that this overhaul enhanced”transparency” and reduced what it suggests could be an unfair advantage granted by the block feature. The company argues that the ability to hide information, such as who a user follows or is followed by, could allow for the spread of private or harmful information without accountability.
However, there’s a fine line between transparency and privacy. X’s new block feature erodes this line and leaves users in disarray.
As the update rolls out, how this controversial change will impact users’ behaviour remains to be seen. Users have touted this update as “an update nobody asked for.”
In May 2024, X announced that users can now see replies from those who blocked them.
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