In a recent update, X (formerly known as Twitter) has changed its blocking policy. While the option to block accounts remains, blocked accounts can now view your public posts, provided your account is not set to private. 

The Help Center update, which was rolled out over the weekend, introduces several new aspects of blocking, which X claims is aimed at balancing user transparency and security, as it will now allow users to monitor if someone misuses blocking to "share and hide harmful or private information" about them.

What has changed?

Under the new policy, blocking a user on X no longer hides your public posts from them. If your account is public, any blocked accounts can still view what you post, although they won't be able to engage with those posts. This means they can't like, reply, repost, or add your posts to lists. 

Blocking still prevents these accounts from following you and stops you from following them. Notably, blocked accounts also won't be able to Direct Message you, and any shared follower connections won't see direct interactions between you and blocked accounts.

If you set your account to private, your posts will be fully restricted to approved followers, meaning blocked users won't have any visibility of your updates. 

Blocked users visiting your profile will see a notice indicating they've been blocked. Additionally, blocked accounts can't add you to lists or tag you in photos.

What remains unchanged

While the changes may impact how users handle blocking, certain core functionalities remain intact. For example, any posts from blocked accounts won't appear in your timeline or notifications feed. However, if a user you follow interacts with a blocked account in a post, or if that account is mentioned in a post involving you, you might still see these notifications or posts.

This new blocking policy on X marks a notable shift, particularly for those who want to retain visibility control over their content. For anyone looking to keep posts private from blocked users, setting the account to private is currently the only way to ensure total privacy.