Elon Musk Just Announced A New Change That Could Finally Kill Twitter For Good
Twitter users have been through a turbulent time since billionaire Elon Musk took control of the company in late 2022. Among the changes the platform has undergone include a more lenient stance on misinformation and hate speech, and the complete revamp of the once-exclusive verified badge, now available to anyone who pays for it. Recently, Musk also renamed the service to "X," which marked the end of several well-known terms like "tweets" (which became "posts") and "retweets" (which became "reposts").
Many of these changes have come without warning and were imposed on users without proper user feedback. This has led to concerns that Musk is more interested in imposing his whims on the platform than in listening to the actual needs of its users. In yet another example of Musk's personal opinions clouding his judgment, the billionaire has hinted that Twitter users may soon lose the ability to block users.
Block is going to be deleted as a "feature", except for DMs
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 18, 2023
In response to a user's query on the usefulness of the "block" feature over the "mute" option, Musk replied that "Block is going to be deleted as a feature," while also adding that the option makes no sense given that a "muting" an account pretty much does the same thing. Musk did, however, indicate that the ability to block individual accounts will continue to be offered as a feature on Twitter's direct messaging tool.
It is unclear whether Musk will actually remove the block feature, especially since he has a history of making tweets that are later contradicted by his actions. However, if he removes the block feature, it is likely to significantly impact how Twitter is used.
The final nail in Twitter's coffin?
Elon Musk's recent move to eliminate the block feature on Twitter has encountered strong opposition from users who value its utility. The blocking functionality is widely regarded as crucial in curbing abuse on Twitter and other social media platforms. Contrary to Musk's opinion, blocking a user on Twitter offers individuals comprehensive protection from abusive accounts by rendering an entire profile invisible to the blocked user — encompassing tweets, likes, and retweets. In comparison, the "Mute" option only shields users from viewing tweets.
Interestingly, before taking control of Twitter, Musk was a big proponent of the block feature and was known to use it with impunity. He had famously blocked several accounts critical of him, and it seems it never occurred to him that he could have just used the mute option instead. Musk did, however, eventually change his stance when in February 2023, it was announced that he had unblocked everyone on the platform while also urging others to do so.
While the outcome of Musk's intentions to remove the block feature remains uncertain, many users think it is just an additional nail in Twitter's proverbial coffin. It has also come to light that Musk's decision to remove the option to block users may conflict with Apple's App Store policies and could even result in the removal of the Twitter app (now X) from Apple's platform. In light of this information, it would be interesting to see if Musk would actually go through with his decision to risk being de-platformed from the Apple ecosystem.