X will soon change the functionality behind its block button so that if you block an account, they will still be able to see your public posts, according to changes to X’s website spotted by independent app researcher Nima Owji. Elon Musk confirmed these changes on Monday, noting that blocked accounts will still not be able to engage with users who have blocked them, but they will soon be able to see their posts.
“The block function will block that account from engaging with, but not block seeing, [a] public post,” said Musk in a tweet on Monday.
Owji says users soon may not see the “You’re blocked…” message when visiting an account of a user who has blocked them, he tells TechCrunch via a DM (direct message) on X. Instead, blocked users will see the account’s public posts, like they were any other user. There will likely still be limitations in reposting, quoting, replying, or engaging with blocked accounts. It’s unclear at this time when the change will take place.
Musk said in his tweet on Monday that it was “high time this happened.” Previously, if a public account blocked a user, that user could simply log out and view the public account’s tweets all the same. There was an easily avoidable workaround, but now X appears to be removing that function altogether.
Roughly 10 years ago, when X was still called Twitter, the platform made similar changes to the block feature that were swiftly reversed. In 2013, Twitter updated its policy to allow blocked users to see content, follow, and even engage with those who have blocked them. The account that blocked them would not be able to see these engagements, but others would. At the time, Twitter reportedly called an emergency meeting due to backlash about the blocking update, and quickly reversed its policy to keep stronger blocks in effect.
Today’s update from X does not go this far — engagements are still not allowed under blocks, according to Musk — but some may not be thrilled about the changes. Social media users often use the block feature to distance themselves from harassers, abusers, or stalkers. Under these new changes to blocking, those barriers will be softened.