Basically, if you block someone and your posts are public, they can still see them. But, they won’t be able to like, reply, or repost. According to the @XEng account, this change is meant to increase transparency, as now users will be able to see if others are trying to hide or share harmful or private information about them.
Block is going to be deleted as a “feature”, except for DMs
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 18, 2023
Blocking on X used to be simple. If you blocked an account, they couldn’t see your posts or interact with them. This new change makes blocking less restrictive.
As expected, this upcoming change has been met with varying opinions by X users. Some are against it, stating that this feels like a removal of a very important privacy feature where one could retain control of who could see one’s posts. Additionally, some believe this change could lead to increased harassment.
On the other hand, some believe that for public accounts, if someone that has been blocked wanted to see your posts, they could get around the restriction by creating another account — thus rendering the block feature useless.
Post by the @XEng account announcing that the change to blocking will be coming soon. | Screenshot of X post credit — PhoneArena
It remains to be seen how this change will affect users. Some may find it helpful, while others may find it annoying. I personally am not happy with it, or many of the changes the platform has undergone since the ownership change, and as a result I now spend less time on it. Maybe that’s a good thing in my case, but I doubt that was the intended result. However, Only time will tell how this change will impact the platform and whether it will bring about more harassment cases.
