Staff Reports
Elon Musk is causing quite a stir among users of X, formerly known as Twitter, with his announcement that the “block” feature will be deleted, except for direct messaging. Musk, always one for a bit of controversy, took to X to respond to a question about blocking versus muting someone, saying that the block feature “makes no sense.”
JUST IN: Elon Musk Causes Uproar after Announcing Removal of ‘Block’ Feature on Xhttps://t.co/T1s9u8NLu3
— The Daily Fetched (@DailyFetched) August 18, 2023
But not everyone is on board with Musk’s decision. Some users argue that removing the block feature would leave them vulnerable to harassment and scams. They believe that blocking is an important tool to prevent scammers and bots from replying to their posts and to protect themselves from unwanted replies. And let’s be honest, who wants evil people like scammers and cyber stalkers following them or replying to their tweets? Not us!
Block is going to be deleted as a “feature”, except for DMs
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 18, 2023
Blocking is a good way to prevent scammers/bots from replying to future posts in the time they’re waiting to be actioned.
I also think blocking should be encouraged in place of reporting when people are getting unwanted replies & in cases when there’s no ToS violation.
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) August 18, 2023
This is a huge mistake. Block is a critical feature on this app.
Regretted minutes would skyrocket. There are certain evil people that users just don't want following them or replying to them. Scammers, cyber stalkers, etc.
I suspect many people would abandon X if they can't… pic.twitter.com/tPLMjFHA5y
— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) August 18, 2023
Left-wing commentator ShoeOnHead even chimed in, saying that people should be allowed to “lock their doors and not listen” to whatever they don’t want to hear. And she’s got a point! We should have the freedom to control who has access to our content.
In response to the uproar, Musk clarified that people can still block accounts, but only through direct messaging with the “mute” feature. But let’s be real, that’s not quite the same as being able to block an account from commenting, seeing our posts, and sending us messages. This decision could have some serious consequences. Just imagine the regretted minutes skyrocketing!
What’s even more concerning is the potential for targeted attacks on conservative Twitter accounts. Leftists are notorious for flagging and suspending accounts they disagree with politically. If the block feature is removed, these attacks could become even more rampant. We can’t let that happen!
We need to push back against this decision and demand that Musk reconsider. Blocking is a critical feature that provides us with much-needed protection from scammers, stalkers, and all the other undesirables out there. Let’s not allow our freedom of speech to be compromised. Stand up and be heard!
