Blogging platform X, formerly Twitter, has decided to disable the "block" feature on the app as its chairman Elon Musk feels the function "makes no sense". In a series of tweets, Musk said that the block function would be removed as a feature, except for direct messages (DMs). His tweets were in response to a question from Tesla Owners Silicon Valley, an X account representing a group of Tesla owners, inquiring about the difference between blocking and muting and there reasons.
Blocking a user on the platform currently prevents that user from engaging with an account, including viewing their tweets, quoting their posts, or directly addressing them. The blocked user is aware of being blocked. On the other hand, muting an account prevents a user from seeing the posts of the muted account, and muted accounts are unaware that they have been muted.
However, it is still not clear when the change would be implemented. Some X users pointed out there was the possibility that this change could violate the terms of service of the Apple and Google app stores. Both platforms stipulate that apps must offer the option to block users.