Social media company X, formerly recognized as Twitter, will eliminate a protective feature enabling users to block other accounts, according to owner Elon Musk’s announcement on Friday, marking another controversial step for the company he acquired last year.
The block function on X empowers users to restrict specific accounts from making contact, viewing their posts, or following them.
Musk conveyed in a platform post, “Block is being removed as a ‘feature,’ except for DMs,” referencing direct messages.
Block is going to be deleted as a “feature”, except for DMs
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 18, 2023
Musk clarified that X will uphold the mute function, which allows users to screen specified accounts from their view. Unlike blocking, muting doesn’t alert the other accounts about this action.
The billionaire owner has identified himself as an advocate of free speech, though critics have deemed his approach irresponsible. Since Musk took over, researchers have identified an escalation in hate speech and antisemitic content on the platform, leading some governments to accuse the company of inadequate content moderation.
The decision to remove or limit the block feature might prompt conflicts with guidelines established by Apple’s App Store and Alphabet’s Google Play.
Apple mandates that apps featuring user-generated content must include a means to block abusive users. Similarly, the Google Play Store stipulates that apps should provide an in-app system for blocking user-generated content and users.
Requests for comments from X, Google, and Apple have not received immediate responses.
In response to a post from anti-bullying activist Monica Lewinsky, urging X to retain the “critical tool for online safety,” Chief Executive Linda Yaccarino defended Musk’s decision.
“Our top priority on X is our users’ safety. We are working on something better than the current state of block and mute. Please continue to provide feedback,” Yaccarino expressed.
The company has stated that Musk will head the product and engineering teams, while Yaccarino will oversee all other teams, including legal and sales.
