X (formerly Twitter) has announced that people whom you have blocked will now be able to see your public posts. While they won’t be able to interact with your posts, blocking someone on X now basically says “Let this person stalk me on X but not interact with me on X.”
In an X post on October 16th, the X engineering account announced:
Soon we’ll be launching a change to 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 (like, reply, repost, etc.).Today, block can be used by users to share and hide harmful or private information about those they’ve blocked. Users will be able to see if such behavior occurs with this update, allowing for greater transparency.
The Internet Patrol is completely free, and we don't subject you to ads or annoying video pop-ups. But it does cost us out of our pocket to keep the site going (going on 20 years now!) So your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are VERY appreciated! Receipts will come from ISIPP.
CashApp us
Venmo us
Paypal us
The one thing which is not clear, and which we have been unable to find, is when this change takes affect. So, we strongly urge you to assume that it has already happened.
Of course, this is a terrible turn of events. X is trying to say that it’s better for those who are harassed by the people whom they’ve blocked, because previously when you’ve blocked someone you also can’t see what they are saying about you. This way, goes the X party line, you can see what they are saying about you; nevermind that they can now see what you post.
Exclaimed one user, who goes by the handle Max Next World, “This is unacceptable!!! The whole point if blocking accounts is to keep us public but still safe from harassment and from seeing accounts that write harmful posts. We worked hard to creat a safe community without making our accounts private and they you just blow it all up in our faces. You guys don’t care at all about our safety.”
Says another, “So that means a blocked user can screenshot tweets and then “sh¡t tweet” about the user who has blocked them. This then allows non-blocked users to pile-on the user of the tweet originally in the screenshot. How is that making things better???”
While most of the torrent of comments are very negative, not all are. A fellow called Andy Ngo points out that “Many extremists use mass blocking to prevent people from reporting their violent threats or writing Community Notes on their lies. This development increases transparency and makes the platform a place where illegal and criminal content can be better exposed.”
Funny how X itself didn’t make that argument, as it sounds like the more plausible, if not reasonable, one.
Of course, you can end run this by not making your posts public.
Or, by finally booting X to the curb.
We’re just sayin’.
The Internet Patrol is completely free, and we don't subject you to ads or annoying video pop-ups. But it does cost us out of our pocket to keep the site going (going on 20 years now!) So your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated!
Receipts will come from ISIPP.
CashApp us
Venmo us
Paypal us
