X, formerly known as Twitter, is undergoing significant shifts under the ownership of Elon Musk, who acquired the platform for $44 billion last year. In an announcement on Friday, Musk revealed a substantial change – the removal of the ability for users to block other accounts. While direct message blocking will persist, it will be phased out as a central feature.
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Blocking has stood as a popular protective tool, allowing users on X to shield themselves from unwanted interactions. This functionality prevents blocked accounts from accessing your posts, and likewise, their content doesn’t appear in your feed. Additionally, blocked accounts cannot initiate direct messages.
Musk’s alteration maintains the option to mute accounts, providing users the ability to make a specific account’s posts invisible. However, muted accounts retain the capacity to view, respond, and repost content with their own commentary to their followers. The muting action doesn’t hinder sending direct messages.
Block is going to be deleted as a “feature”, except for DMs
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 18, 2023
Since assuming control of the platform, Musk has reversed Twitter’s safety policies, leading to the removal of content moderators and the reinstatement of users who were previously banned for violating the platform’s rules. This overhaul, combined with other factors, has prompted some advertisers to abandon the platform, contributing to a 50% decline in ad revenue.
Critics have voiced concerns about how these changes have impacted the platform’s safety standards. In response, X’s Chief Executive Officer, Linda Yaccarino, has defended the platform, asserting that “more than 99% of content users and advertisers see on Twitter is healthy.” However, specifics about the criteria used to define “healthy” content and the methodology for assessing this metric remain undisclosed.
In essence, Musk’s transformative approach to X is leaving an indelible mark on the platform, heralding shifts in key functionalities and sparking discussions about the balance between freedom of expression and safeguarding user experiences.
