by • Elon Musk recently announced his intentions to delete the “block” feature on X/Twitter.
• The block feature allowed users to prevent seeing posts from another user, while the “mute” feature only stops notifications.
• The crypto community is concerned that this change will create an opportunity for scammers, spam and bots to proliferate.
Elon Musk Deletes Block Feature on X/Twitter
Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly known as Twitter), revealed in an Aug. 18 post that he intends to delete the block feature for users on the app. This announcement received mixed reactions from other users, with some citing its negative effect on those who subscribe to the company’s “Blue” service and others expressing concern over increased opportunity for scam accounts, spam and bots to proliferate without it.
What is the Block Feature?
The block feature allows a user to prevent seeing posts from another user, regardless of whether they are following each other or not. This is different than the “mute” function which only stops notifications from a specified user without blocking their content entirely.
Previous Comments From Musk Regarding Block
This isn’t the first time Musk has floated this idea; on June 7 he commented that blocking public posts makes no sense and should be deprecated in favor of a stronger form of mute. Additionally, in April 2022 he agreed with Epic CEO Tim Sweeney’s suggestion that X/Twitter should employ a meritocracy-based verification system instead of relying solely on Blue subscriptions for verification purposes.
Reaction From Other Users
The reaction from other users across the app has been largely negative; many blame Musk’s intention to delete this feature on its negative effect on those who rely on Blue subscriptions for verification purposes while others are worried about increased opportunities for scam accounts, spam and bots to surface without it.
Conclusion
Although there are still some unanswered questions surrounding what will replace this deleted block feature, one thing is certain: Elon Musk’s decision will have significant implications for how people interact with each other via social media platforms such as X/Twitter moving forward.
