Twitter/X introduces new blocking rules: you can now see replies from accounts that have blocked you | Technical news

Social media platform

Twitter/X is changing the way blocking works (Illustration by Twitter/X)

Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) is changing the way blocking works. Currently, if you block someone they can’t see your posts, but you can stalk them as much as you want and even leave comments on their posts. However, from now on, if you reply to the message of someone you blocked, he/she will be able to see your response.

For example, if user A blocks user B and A then continues to reply to B’s messages, the latter can see the messages that were previously hidden.

The reason behind the change in blocking rules

X’s technical team explained the reasoning behind the new rules via a post on However, the new change will allow users to protect their accounts from people who have blocked them.

The technical team says these efforts are part of the platform’s ongoing commitment to align the block function with their “principles as a public city square.” They state that their goal is to give users control over their experience on X, while maintaining public visibility of posts.

How blocking works elsewhere

It is striking that blocking on X always worked slightly differently than on other social media platforms such as Facebook. Elsewhere, when you block someone, you not only prevent him or her from seeing your profile and messages, but you also lose the ability to see his or her timeline. Regardless of who blocks who, both parties stop seeing each other’s messages because it works as a two-way block where control of blocking is in the hands of whoever made the first move. On Facebook, you can only see a blocked person’s posts if a mutual friend shares them on their timeline.