Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has undergone a significant change to its blocking feature, allowing accounts that users have blocked to still view their public content.

Recently, X updated its Help Center, providing clarity on the new mechanics of the blocking function. While individuals can still choose to block other accounts, those blocked will maintain access to public posts unless the user’s profile is set to private. Although blocked individuals cannot respond to or share these posts, they will still be able to view them. Additionally, the blocked accounts will not have the ability to follow the user, nor will the user be able to follow them back, a provision that remains consistent with previous policies.

Another aspect of this update is that if someone has been blocked and visits the user’s profile, they will be notified of the block.

X mentioned that this update is intended to enhance user protection for those who have been blocked, improving transparency regarding interactions on the platform. In a message shared on its Engineering account, X stated that the blocking feature could allow users to manage potentially harmful or sensitive information more effectively. With these new modifications, users will have better awareness of any misuse of the platform that could escalate into harmful situations.

However, this shift in policy has drawn criticism, especially from individuals and advocates concerned about the safety of abuse victims. Thomas Ristenpart, a professor specializing in computer security at Cornell Tech and co-founder of the Clinic to End Tech Abuse, noted that it is essential for those who have experienced intimate-partner violence to maintain control over their audience on social media.

He expressed concern that the inability to effectively block abusive figures could enable stalking and further harassment, stating, “We often hear reports about posts to social media enabling abusers to stalk them or triggering further harassment. Removing users’ ability to block problematic individuals will be a huge step backwards for survivor safety.”

Since assuming leadership of the platform in 2022, Musk has made several controversial decisions that have relaxed rules previously established to mitigate hate speech and harassment. Often framed as moves to promote free expression, these changes have included disbanding the Trust and Safety advisory group and reinstating accounts that had been banned for behavior such as hate speech, harassment, or the dissemination of misinformation. Notably, when one nonprofit research organization reported an uptick in hate speech on the platform, X initiated a lawsuit against them, which was ultimately dismissed.