Users of the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, have erupted in outrage following an announcement about a significant alteration to the block feature. The change will enable blocked users to view the public posts of people who have blocked them, although they will still be unable to interact directly by liking, replying, or reposting.

The Announcement and Backlash

X Engineering disclosed the update in a post, stating, "Soon we’ll be launching a change to how the block function works. If your posts are set to public, accounts you have blocked will be able to view them, but they will not be able to engage." The explanation given was that the change is meant to promote transparency, suggesting that the current block system can be misused to "share and hide harmful or private information." However, this reasoning has been met with skepticism and frustration, as many users believe the update could exacerbate harassment issues rather than resolve them.

Concerns Over Privacy and Safety

Critics argue that blocking is a vital tool for users to protect themselves from harassment and unwelcome attention. The alteration makes the block function very similar to the existing mute feature, which silences notifications from certain accounts without preventing access to public content. Users are concerned that without a proper blocking mechanism, they are left vulnerable to harassment, threatening their online safety.

Speculation Over Feature Change

Some users have speculated that the direction taken by X reflects the priorities set by its owner, Elon Musk. Musk has previously expressed views that blocking is an unnecessary feature and has shown support for its removal. In his words, the block function "makes no sense," suggesting that the mute function should suffice. Musk even mentioned in a past statement that "block is going to be deleted."

Implications for Users

While the exact timeline for this update remains unclear, X Engineers have vaguely indicated that the change will be implemented "Soon." In response, users who wish to protect themselves from unwanted viewers may consider making their account fully private or migrating to another platform that still supports effective blocking, such as Bluesky.

For more details on this development, see TheWrap's original report here.