- Elon Musk dismisses the blocking standard as a solution to stalking and online harassment stating that more effective solutions should be sought
On October 16, 2024, X- formerly Twitter announced changes on how blocking would work. The platform will now allow public posts made by an X user to be viewed by accounts they blocked but prevent them from interacting with the message.
"Soon we'll be launching a change on how the block function works. If your posts are set to public, accounts you have blocked will be able to view them, but they will not be able to engage.(Iike, reply,repost e.t.c)," X tweeted.
This change has alienated many X users, the majority fearing for their safety, online harassment and right to privacy.
Within 24 hours after the announcement, many X users moved to Bluesky- X's competitor. Bluesky reported that they had acquired half a million new users.
"Half a million people in the last day. Welcome," Bluesky posted.
Read More
Claire Waxman, a Victims' Commissioner serving in the London Mayor's Office, issued concerns about the safety of individuals, saying:
"This is a dangerous decision for a social media platform, and will have serious implications for victims — especially those being stalked — and their safety,” Waxman wrote on X. “Enabling blocked users to see posts is catering to abusers and stalkers, indulging and facilitating their behaviors.”
Last year, on June 8, 2023, Elon Musk- the owner of X- said he believes the blocking standard is adequate since bad actors could simply evade this measure by making fake accounts or private browsing.
Blocking public posts makes no sense,” Musk said on X last year. “It needs to be deprecated in favour of a stronger form of mute.”
The 52-year-old billionaire suggested more robust solutions for managing online behaviour.
