On October 17, 2024, X (formerly Twitter) announced a controversial update to its blocking feature, set to take effect 'soon'. According to X Engineering, users who block others will allow those blocked accounts to view their public posts but will not be able to engage with them.
This change has sparked significant backlash from users, who argue that it undermines the purpose of blocking, which is often used to prevent harassment. Critics pointed out that the new feature effectively makes blocking similar to muting, raising concerns about privacy and user safety.
Owner Elon Musk had previously expressed skepticism about the utility of blocking, suggesting that the mute function should suffice. While the exact implementation date remains unclear, users are left with limited options to protect their accounts, with making profiles private being the primary alternative.