In the latest instance of Elon Musk further introducing features to Twitter/X which are wildly unpopular, the social media platform has finally implemented a feature floated by the tech billionaire for months: blocked users will finally be able to see – but not interact with – tweets from public accounts.
Previously, posts from Twitter/X accounts which had you blocked would be hidden behind a message on that particular profile stating that the user “has blocked you”, but now, in an update which rolled out on Sunday, these tweets are available for blocked accounts to read.
“You can view public posts from [user]but you are blocked from engaging with them. You also cannot follow or message [user],” the new message reads.
The move comes after Twitter/X announced it would be introducing the change last month, prompting individuals to report the mobile app to Google and Apple, given a full block feature is a requirement under their app store policies.
On 16 October, X’s Engineering account tweeted: “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.”
Except, many Twitter/X users have taken the opportunity to protest the new setting by leaving messages for blocked accounts who fancy stalking their profile:
How to hide tweets from Twitter/X’s new block feature
So, is there any way to properly shield your tweets from prying eyes?
Yes, as Twitter/X notes you can still “protect” your account, which means only those who follow you will be able to see your posts (though they can still screenshot them and share them publicly), and new ‘follow requests’ will have to be manually approved by you.
Potential issues with this setting though include the inability for your posts to be retweeted or ‘reposted’, and if you want to reply to any other user, they’d need to be following you in order to see it.
indy100 has approached both Google and Apple for comment about whether it will take any disciplinary action against Twitter/X in light of this new setting.
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