Elon Musk has been promising to take away the block possibility solely on X (previously Twitter) for months, and now, the X staff appears to have provide you with a compromise, because it appears to align with app retailer necessities, whereas decreasing the affect of blocking within the app.

As defined by X:

“We’re making adjustments to how block works. If a person who has blocked you replies to considered one of your posts, you’ll now be capable of see their reply. This modification allows you to determine and report any potential unhealthy content material that you simply beforehand couldn’t view, safeguarding each your account and the general integrity of our platform.”

So, to make clear, proper now, whenever you’ve blocked an account on X, you possibly can nonetheless view that profile’s posts, in the event you select.

By tapping on “View Posts” right here, I can nonetheless have a look at this profile’s content material, and I may even reply and interact with their posts. However I’ve additionally blocked them, so that they gained’t truly see my reply. Which is mostly a flaw in X’s blocking system, as I shouldn’t be capable of view their posts whereas they’re blocked. However fairly than repair that component, X is trying to water down blocking as an alternative.

Why?

As a result of Elon doesn’t like blocking, and doesn’t suppose that folks ought to be capable of block others utterly.

Which he’s talked about a number of occasions.

in the event you’re operating a giant account, which is being blocked by many customers, this specific flaw could be particularly annoying, as a result of individuals may very well be speaking smack about you, with out you even figuring out, and with no choice to reply. 

One other key level of rivalry right here is that even when a block is in place, if an account is posting publicly, anybody can nonetheless see their content material by logging out and viewing their profile. So for instance, if Elon blocked me, I may nonetheless see his posts as a result of they’re obtainable to the general public. So blocking, in that sense, is essentially irrelevant.

And there’s not likely any method round that, besides blocking does give customers a method to limit sure profiles from interacting with them, so it nonetheless serves an essential goal.

Although I can see why Elon and Co. don’t suppose they’re efficient, particularly as a result of they typically allow the block-er to make snide remarks and assaults with out the creator even figuring out,

If somebody who blocks you possibly can nonetheless weigh in and remark in your posts, and you’ll’t see that response, that looks like a weak spot, however once more, the issue is extra with X’s blocking system, not with the performance itself.

Elon, in the meantime, has prompt a number of occasions that “Mute” is a greater resolution than blocking somebody within the app, whereas additionally suggesting {that a} “stronger mute” may change blocking solely.

Although that, once more, would violate App and Play Retailer guidelines, which state that:

“Apps that present entry to publicly accessible UGC, akin to social networking apps and blogger apps, should implement in-app performance to report customers and content material, and to dam customers.”

The one component that you would perhaps argue right here is that this wording doesn’t precisely stipulate what “block” entails, although the impetus means that customers should be given the capability be capable of block others, in the event that they select.

With that in thoughts, my guess could be that X will truly should roll again this transformation, and as an alternative enhance its block possibility to make sure that customers can higher separate themselves from chosen profiles, in the event that they select.

However nonetheless, X goes to attempt it out anyway, as half, it says, of its “ongoing dedication to aligning the block characteristic with our rules as a public city sq.”.

“Our aim is to permit customers to manage their expertise whereas sustaining the general public visibility of posts.”

Actually, I feel this replace solely highlights the issues of X’s personal system, not a difficulty with blocking in itself, although I do additionally take the purpose that X customers can nonetheless entry public posts both method, even when a block is in place.

Elon has additionally criticized public block lists, or mass collections of accounts that customers can block abruptly, which he’s beforehand claimed “mess up the advice system & create a DDoS vector”.

Which, once more, seems like an X drawback, not a difficulty with the performance. And whereas the app shops require this to be an possibility, I’m undecided that Elon and Co. are going to have the ability to take away blocking as they need.

However, they’re making an attempt one thing. I don’t suppose it’ll stand for lengthy, nevertheless it may very well be one strategy to reduce customers’ capability to dam others outright.