Sorry folks, the X platform's "block" feature will no longer make sense after its service owner posted that it will be deleted as a "feature."
According to a post from Elon Musk, it will be disabled pretty soon, except in direct messages or DMs.
X Users Lose Ability to Block Comments
Elon Musk confirms that "block" will soon be deleted. You can't block him or your annoying followers anymore.
In a strange tweet by Musk on Friday, Aug. 18, the popular "block" feature will be soon going away. As spotted by Engadget, this change will strip off the ability of the users to block comments from unwanted followers.
Somehow, Musk plans to retain the said feature in DMs. The post was made after Tesla Owners Silicon Valley account asked if there's a reason to block vs mute someone on X.
It makes no sense
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 18, 2023
Removing 'Block' Feature is a Matter of Security Concern
Although it seems to be a simple feature for the users, the addition of a "block" on X can help users safeguard themselves from hate speech and harassment from other people.
As CNBC reports, it's been viewed as an important component of safety in social media. Removing it will just expose everyone to be vulnerable to hateful content on their feeds.
Additionally, people who often see ads and brands that they despise can use this feature. But since it's going away soon, there's no way to hide these pop-ups anymore.
Related Article: XPro, Formerly Tweetdeck Now Behind Paywall
Twitter's Rebranding Stirred a Lot of Issues Lately
Twitter has undergone a roller-coaster ride for the past months. Starting from its $44 billion acquisition, Musk started to scramble the organization inside the company.
He made several changes, assigned new people to new positions, axed many workers, welcomed banned accounts with open arms, and finally rebranded Twitter to X.
Up to this time, we never know what is Musk planning behind the removal of the "block" function. He did not mention a specific date when it will be effective. We haven't heard any reason why he suddenly made this decision.
Aside from the news about the "block feature," another update that has irked X users is the arrival of XPro as a paid service.
According to Tech Times, many Tweetdeck users noticed that they could no longer use the service. Before it was free to everyone, but Musk made it a paywall feature exclusive for the subscribers.
Somewhat, this swift move has even put X in a bad light. Many people said that this decision impacted the work of some journalists and social media managers.
When you try to click X Premium, you will be prompted to subscribe to it. It's quite a powerful strategy to attract more potential subscribers, yet it's a let-down for most people who witnessed the blue bird icon lose its wings and become X.
