Will X’s New Block Feature Open the Door to Online Harassment?

An update on X will now permit blocked users to view posts from accounts that have blocked them, as long as those accounts are public.

In a reply on X, Elon Musk wrote: “High time this happened.” The revised block function will enable users to prevent blocked accounts from engaging with their content while still allowing them to view public posts.

This change deviates from the current system, where blocked users receive a notification stating, “You’re blocked” when attempting to view a profile, effectively limiting their access to any content from X blocked accounts.

Users say that this could increase online harassment, as it opens the door for individuals to easily monitor the posts of those who have chosen to block them.

X’s new update comes after an internal discussion suggesting that users could already circumvent blocks by accessing posts through other accounts or when logged out of the platform. 

However, many users have observed that X currently restricts access to profiles of blocked users, contradicting this rationale.

Musk has previously objected to the block function, noting that it should be replaced by a more solid muting option. Last year, he even pointed at potentially eliminating the block feature entirely, except for private messages. 

Although the change is aimed at enabling openness on the platform, user safety is also important. The ability for blocked individuals to continue viewing the content of those who wish to disengage from them may lead to unwanted interactions and further harassment, raising questions about the balance between transparency and user protection on social media.