After repeating that the “block” function on X made “no sense”, Elon Musk chose to remove it and open the door to uncontrollable harassment.
The blocking function on X is in Elon Musk’s sights. After having declared its “uninteresting”, the boss of the social network has chosen to radically transform it, removing one of the network’s rare bulwarks against cyberbullying.
A revisited function
This is not the first time that the blocking function has been in Elon Musk’s sights. The boss of X, spoke in the summer of 2023 on the network to talk about his desire to remove the “block” function with the exception of DMs.
It seems to be resolved today by indicating on the network that the function was going to be revisited. The blocked account to continue to see the posts of the person who blocked it, but will no longer be able to interact with it.
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According to The VergeMusk had been vocal about the network’s long blocklists, some specifically targeting users who subscribed to Twitter Blue. The new certification, which was awarded on a monetary basis rather than through more stringent verification, was causing users to shun the “checkmark” accounts that had once been a sign of quality.
The door open to harassment
According to Android Police, While changing the feature could mitigate harassment, there are some caveats. The blocking feature allowed users to moderate the network to some extent, preventing spam, trolling, and harassment, thereby sorting the network.
Coupled with a new Twitter privacy policy requiring users to log in to access posts, it was a solid bulwark. Now that bulwark seems to be crumbling.
By wanting to promote freedom of expression and maximum engagement on his platform, Elon Musk is above all opening the door to disinformation and hateful messages. This news should not reassure Europe and France, where X is still under threat of closure.
