Elon Musk has said that the blocking feature on X, formerly known as Twitter, will be done away with because it “makes no sense.”
It is the most recent modification Musk has made to the website since acquiring control of it in a $44 billion acquisition last year.
However, according to the X CEO, users would still have the option to prevent other users from messaging them directly.
However, a lot of individuals on social media claimed that it would be challenging for people to delete offensive posts from their timeline.
Currently, when users “block” an account, neither the postings from the blocked account nor vice versa appear on the blocker’s timeline. A blocked account is no longer able to communicate with the blocker via messages or view their postings.
Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey appeared to be agreeing with Musk’s decision, tweeting, “100%. Mute only”.
However, there are worries that muting an account could not offer enough defence against incidents of harassment, abuse, or stalking.
Currently, the mute feature simply disables notifications for an account’s postings. A muted account can still see and respond to the muter’s posts.
One user referred to Musk’s choice as a “huge mistake” and claimed that there were “toxic people” on the network that consumers did not want to contact with in any manner.
Removing a blocking function could also go against the rules of websites like Google Play and the Apple App Store.
The terms of both shops stipulate that social media apps must give users the option to block out harassment or bullying. It might imply that such stores no longer provide X for download.
It is unclear if all blocked accounts will automatically get unblocked if the policy is implemented.
However, users can choose to keep their account private, preventing the general public from seeing their tweets and limiting access to only their chosen followers.
When Elon Musk acquired control of the social networking platform, he made a number of changes, including firing the company’s top executives and charging for the “blue tick” (or verification) feature.
The block button is a well-known option for users who feel assaulted, bullied, or just want to block accounts they strongly disagree with.
