Elon's Latest X-periment: Blocked Users Can Still Stalk Your Public Tweets

Elon Musk has confirmed a change to X that will allow blocked users to view public posts.

The change will mean that if a user blocks someone, their public tweets would still be visible by that account. However, the blocked account would not be able to engage with the post. It's always been possible to view someone's tweets if they've blocked you; just log out or view the withheld tweet in a browser's incognito mode. By being logged out, you can't interact with the post.

It's a faff that's now been done away with.

"High time this happened," Musk said. "The block function will block that account from engaging with, but not block [from] seeing, public post[s]."

This isn't the first time the platform has dabbled with blocking. More than ten years ago, Twitter, as X was formerly known, added the ability for users to view the tweets of accounts that had blocked them and tweet at them, but the activity was hidden from the blocker.

Twitter rolled back the change after an outcry. In a 2013 statement, the biz wrote: "In reverting this change to the block function, users will once again be able to tell that they've been blocked.

"We believe this is not ideal, largely due to the retaliation against blocking users by blocked users (and sometimes their friends) that often occurs. Some users worry just as much about post-blocking retaliation as they do about pre-blocking abuse."

X now plans to change blocking again, although this time engagement with posts will not be permitted.

As we said, there are workarounds for determined users to view posts from accounts that have blocked them. However, the decision to alter how blocking works again could concern account holders and privacy campaigners.

Responses to Musk's message have been mostly negative. One user described it as a "terrible idea," explaining: "The main reasons people block others is for their own safety/privacy. This will also allow trolls to mass report people they disagree with."

It is unclear when the change will be rolled out. We asked X for a timeline and if it had considered the opinion of users against the update. The biz has yet to reply. ®

RECENT NEWS

From Chip War To Cloud War: The Next Frontier In Global Tech Competition

The global chip war, characterized by intense competition among nations and corporations for supremacy in semiconductor ... Read more

The High Stakes Of Tech Regulation: Security Risks And Market Dynamics

The influence of tech giants in the global economy continues to grow, raising crucial questions about how to balance sec... Read more

The Tyranny Of Instagram Interiors: Why It's Time To Break Free From Algorithm-Driven Aesthetics

Instagram has become a dominant force in shaping interior design trends, offering a seemingly endless stream of inspirat... Read more

The Data Crunch In AI: Strategies For Sustainability

Exploring solutions to the imminent exhaustion of internet data for AI training.As the artificial intelligence (AI) indu... Read more

Google Abandons Four-Year Effort To Remove Cookies From Chrome Browser

After four years of dedicated effort, Google has decided to abandon its plan to remove third-party cookies from its Chro... Read more

LinkedIn Embraces AI And Gamification To Drive User Engagement And Revenue

In an effort to tackle slowing revenue growth and enhance user engagement, LinkedIn is turning to artificial intelligenc... Read more