Elon Musk Says X (aka Twitter) Will No Longer Let You Block Other Users

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August 18, 2023 9:10am PT
Elon Musk Says X (aka Twitter) Will No Longer Let You Block Other Users
By Todd Spangler


Elon Musk - Twitter deal
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
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Elon Musk’s latest tweak to Twitter, the former name of what he now calls X: Users will no longer be able to block other accounts — as Musk claims the feature “makes no sense.”

“Block is going to be deleted as a ‘feature’, except for DMs,” the tech mogul posted on X Friday. “Makes no sense.”

X/Twitter describes block as “a feature that helps you control how you interact with other accounts on Twitter. This feature helps people in restricting specific accounts from contacting them, seeing their Tweets, and following them.” Blocking other accounts is useful if someone is harassing, threatening or stalking you on the platform.


Among those weighing in on Musk’s pronouncement was Jack Dorsey, former CEO of Twitter, who approved of the decision: “💯. mute only,” Dorsey posted in reply to Musk.

Instead of using the “block,” Musk suggested that X users can use the mute feature instead. Currently, however, the social network’s mute button simply removes an account’s posts from your timeline without unfollowing or blocking that account — whereas blocking an account prevents that account from viewing your public posts on X. When you “mute” X/Twitter accounts, they are still able to reply to your public posts (you just don’t get notifications, and replies are hidden from your view by default).

Musk has previously disparaged Twitter’s block function. In June, he posted, “Blocking public posts makes no sense. It needs to be deprecated in favor of a stronger form of mute,” although he didn’t elaborate on what a “stronger form of mute” might entail.


It’s unclear if Musk’s move to do away with the block feature will mean that any accounts a user has blocked previously will suddenly become unblocked. Reps for X/Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.

Alternatively, an X user can set their account to “private,” which allows them to control who can view and respond to their posts. “When you sign up for Twitter, your Tweets are public by default; anyone can view and interact with your Tweets,” the company explains on its help site. “If you protect your Tweets, you’ll receive a request when new people want to follow you, which you can approve or deny.”

Musk is the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and currently the wealthiest person in the world. He became the owner of Twitter in October 2022 after closing a debt-heavy $44 billion deal for the company (and promptly firing top execs and then laying off about 80% of Twitter’s personnel).

Earlier this year, Musk hired former NBCUniversal ad boss Linda Yaccarino as CEO of X/Twitter. However, he has said that he will continue to oversee X’s product and technology teams, while Yaccarino is in charge of advertising and business operations.

VIP+ Mogul Memo: Twitter/X CEO Yaccarino, Expect the Unexpected

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Plenty of people are going to lose their shit over this. I'm looking forward to seeing lucas werner seethe and shit his pants in anger over not being able to block anyone who calls him a creep or calls him out for his bs

That said, somehow I suspect this will get rolled back before too long. Especially when people start reeing to advertisers about it
 
I actually think he has a point. Conceptually twitters meant to be a public square so you can ignore someone irl but you don't get to prevent them from hearing you. I think blocks made for some of the more polarising aspects of social media too, all that filter bubble stuff.

I also see people saying omg what about stalkers, as if a stalker wouldn't knock up a catfish account in 2 mins if they were that inclined.

I dont really use the platform or know or care enough to really be invested one way or the other, but I think there will be a lot of funny reactions from both sides of the aisle when people lose their congregation of adulating fans.
 
It can't happen unless he wants it removed from app stores, but this is going to be the first time I've ever heard of a site with social interaction that would contain no blocking features.
 
This is incredibly based and awesome

Blocking people is pussy ass gay behavior whether it's on kiwi farms dot polska or twitterx or anywhere

All those perpetually online faggots unable to laugh about their use of block scripts or whatever or beating their concave chests about how "if your screename has [whatever] in it or you say [whatever], blocked, aren't I so cool" :story:
 
The #FBPE will be seething (if any are left on there).

Now, if Elon allows me to call them 'degenerate rape loving Nigger Faggots who should do humanity a favour by filming themselves being hit by Passenger Trains travelling at 100+mph' I will literally be in Heaven.
 
The Fatriarchy said:
It can't happen unless he wants it removed from app stores, but this is going to be the first time I've ever heard of a site with social interaction that would contain no blocking features.
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Fuck the App stores, Elon could buy Apple, Microsoft and every Crypto seller within the hour (as well as most of the Banks on Planet Earth) and declare:

'BEHOLD, I AM YOUR GOD NOW - SUCK MY COCK YOU RETARDS!'
 
The Fatriarchy said:
It can't happen unless he wants it removed from app stores, but this is going to be the first time I've ever heard of a site with social interaction that would contain no blocking features.
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Mute works as block does on many sites and the only app/play store rules dictate the admins must have a way to block users, not individuals.
 
lol musk is retarded and he's running twitter into the ground

that being said this decision is pretty based. a shame that one still needs an account to see shit, and i refuse to make an account.
 
A bunch of people don't seem to get the difference, mute prevents you from seeing the posts and DM. Block prevents the third party from seeing your posts and replying to them. Given that you could always circumvent the visibility portion by just viewing the offending tweet in a browser session that was logged out it didn't do a good job of that as well. Mute is what people are thinking of when people write the word "Block." The current Twitter variant is just blocking content for no apparent gain, people should be able to shit talk you all they want, but that doesn't mean you have to be subject to it, hence the mute feature.
 
Mute still works, this just prevents you from stopping specific people from looking at your posts. (Unless you set your profile to private)
 
Buttigieg2020 said:
Mute still works, this just prevents you from stopping specific people from looking at your posts. (Unless you set your profile to private)
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Idk enough about twitter but I guess block means the person replying who OP hates can't see/rt/quote/whatever to 'pile on' their followers from one perspective or offer any alternative opinion from the other perspective. It sounds like a gay function for a public chat thingy.

I think its to incentivise premium accounts so they can make their own little spaces or whatever. Idk.
 
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