Elon Musk Announces Big Changes to X's Block Functionality

It looks like X is about to lose one of its core features: the block function. CEO Elon Musk dropped this news bomb on Monday, announcing via his own social media platform that the block button, as we know it, will soon be a thing of the past.



This all started when web developer Nima Owji brought it up on X, and Musk himself chimed in to confirm the big change. Since its early days, the block feature has been the go-to for users who wanted to prevent certain people from seeing or interacting with their public posts. But that's about to change in a big way. With Musk's new plan, blocked accounts will once again be able to see the posts of those who blocked them, but here's the catch: they won't be able to like, reply, repost, or send direct messages. So, it's kind of like lurking in the shadows without being able to make any noise.

Interestingly, Musk has been toying with this idea for a while. Last year, he even threatened to completely wipe out the block feature, allowing only direct messages between blocker and blocked users. This version isn't quite as extreme, but it's already got plenty of folks feeling uneasy, especially those who've dealt with harassment or stalking on the platform. After all, even if blocked accounts can't engage, they'll still be able to view posts and potentially share them elsewhere. It's easy to imagine someone taking a screenshot and sharing it on Threads, Facebook, or Instagram, making the block almost meaningless.

As with any Musk move, reactions are all over the place. Some users think it's a win, arguing that the block function has always been kind of pointless since it could be bypassed with alternative accounts or by using incognito mode. Owji himself pointed out how easily people could slip around the feature, suggesting it never truly kept people out.

But Musk might have more obstacles to face. For starters, both Google and Apple have strict requirements for social media apps that include a block feature, and if X decides to ditch it entirely, there's already talk about getting these tech giants to pull X from their app stores. So, Musk's latest shake-up could hit a roadblock of its own pretty soon.

Whatever the reason behind this change—whether it's an attempt to boost engagement or tie it to other agendas—Musk has once again thrown the social media world into a frenzy, and we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out.

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