Blocked X users can now see your public posts anyway

X has controversially updated its block feature, allowing people to view public posts even if they’re blocked. Some users say it’s not safe.

Accounts that users have blocked will still be able to view them. But they will not be able to engage with said users – like or reply to their posts or repost them, X’s Engineering page said earlier, before launching the update Sunday night.

We’re starting to launch the block function update https://t.co/qNYIudCrqb

undefined Engineering (@XEng) November 3, 2024

Blocked users still can’t follow the person who has blocked them or send direct messages to them.

X earlier said that users abused the block feature to “share or hide harmful or private information about those they’ve blocked.” The platform has argued for greater transparency.

Essentially, if someone blocks you, then talks trash about you, and shares private information about you, knowing that you can’t see it, you’ll now be able to both see and report such users, improving privacy.

But the fact that blocked users are now able to see the posts by accounts that have blocked them makes some users feel uncomfortable – for safety reasons.

“Those of us who have stalkers on here and content thieves don’t appreciate this change at all and shouldn’t need to lock our accounts to protect ourselves from predatory types,” one user posted.

Indeed, even if, for example, a blocked stalker cannot engage with an account that blocked them, they can still find useful information. According to some, the change actually encourages stalking and harassment.

Of course, X users can choose whether to keep their posts public or to set them to protected. Blocked accounts can’t see such posts since they’re only shown to followers.

Still, the controversial update has encouraged many users to switch camps. In mid-October, another social network Bluesky reported adding 500,000 users in a day.

X owner Elon Musk – a self-described free speech absolutist – has long expressed his disdain for a block function, previously saying that “it makes no sense” and that it should be replaced by “a stronger form of mute.”

Then again, Musk is also known for narcissism and inability to take any sort of criticism. According to The New York Times, he has effectively transformed X into a reflection of his personal views before the election, posting more than 3,000 times on the site in the last month alone.

True numbers are impossible to find since Musk took over Twitter and renamed it. But his account could be one of the most blocked on X – and Musk can’t possibly enjoy that.