X Makes Change to Its Block Function

X, formerly known as Twitter, is making critical changes to the block feature amid criticism that people can now view content from accounts that had earlier restricted them.
Moreover, accounts cannot follow a blocked user and vice versa. Blocked users cannot send direct messages and add the accounts blocking them to their lists. They also cannot tag the persons blocking them. Blocking an account automatically unfollows it.
Users of blocked accounts can see their accounts are blocked if they visit their specific accounts. They will be told they are blocked when they attempt to interact with the post. This is different from X’s mute feature.
Unlike blocked accounts, users will be notified when their accounts are mentioned on the platform. In the case of individuals who have blocked other users, the former’s mentioning will not trigger any notification for the blocked users.
“That way we can prevent accounts we’ve blocked from replying with harassment to those who reply to our posts, since blocked accounts can’t follow us,” he said.
X’s new policy on its block feature is one of the latest measures implemented by the company that has triggered privacy concerns among users.
“This appears illegal in the European Union under the AI Act. However, such laws don’t exist in many jurisdictions, including the United States,” Fae said.
Last year, the platform introduced a new privacy policy allowing it to access the biometric data of users.