X has just removed the block feature. What does this mean for us.
With the block feature going away, X (formerly Twitter) users will be left open to abuse and stalkers.
Only days ago, the world found out about his US Visa violation, with him having worked on a student visa without a work/business permit. The richest person — and the richest visa violator in the world. If it was anyone else now, they would be removed and banned from the US. This is because, pre 9/11, the US was a bit lax in visa rules. Additionally, Musk paid 1 million dollars to anyone who signed a petition in support of free speech. But that’s not all that X will be scrutinized on — everyone will also be concerned about the block.
X has made drastic changes ever since Elon Musk took over. He reinstated Nazis, he refused to ban those engaging in extreme hate speech, spam, abuse and those engaging in white supremacy terrorist groups. But now, he has made X/Twitter worse for everyone — removing the block feature. For victims, like myself, of online harassment and cyberbullying, trolls such as Nicky Wright — the same troll who taunted and stalked Nicola Brookes — will be able to view my content, despite me having him blocked.
Surprisingly, the European Union (EU) has been silent on this, despite the block feature removal posing a clear risk to users and their privacy and safety.
Once this takes place, this will open up a plethora of problems, never seen before on a huge scale. Domestic violence perpetrators will be able to use X/Twitter to stalk their partners, which could have harmful or even fatal consequences. Online stalkers will be able to see their victim’s posts, with the potential for the stalker to start harassing the victim. For anyone who blocks individuals engaged in hate speech, such as Mick O Keeffe, Christine Anderson, Alex Jones, Brian Tamaki, Fraser Anning — hate speech posts from blocked individuals could flood people’s feeds again. Any minor on X/Twitter (under 18 or 16 depending on jurisdiction) is at risk of child predators, groomers or exploitation. For artists, bloggers, models and any form of content creator, or influencers, the removal of the block feature puts them at risk of having their work stolen by bad actors, thieves and fraudsters. Additionally, with the block feature being removed, carries with it, a huge risk of any kind of identity theft or fraud. Criminal groups, such as members of the Mongrel Mob in NZ, could utilize the platform to carry out their activities, and encourage those who otherwise have them blocked, to join the gang.
As for stalking — we’ve seen it all. From Melissa Anneli, who was stalked by someone from New Zealand who was obsessed with her, to Nicola Brookes’s tormentor Nicky Wright, to Jazz Thornton being stalked by a Dutch guy who actually flew all the way from the Netherlands to stalk her — proves how dangerous stalking can be. And now X has just made it a whole lot easier for stalking and other forms of harassment.
For victims of race based massacres, this could be retraumatizing. Survivors of the Christchurch Mosque Attacks, for instance, could find their feeds on X being flooded with anti Muslim hate again. Similar to synagogue shootings across the US, and anti black racism in Europe, victims of these could be forced to remember their trauma and their experiences with racism.
Going forward, here’s a list of what should you do and what should you not do on X/Twitter. Note that this is not exhaustive, and you should use your judgement, discretion and exercise caution when posting on the platform.
DO:
- Be vigilant of what you share on X/Twitter
- Think before you post, as this is crucial now — especially bad actors, stalkers, trolls, Nazis and anyone else in between can take advantage of this
- Speak out about this block feature being removed
- Be wary of anyone you feel may be viewing your posts after you “blocked” them — they will be able to view your posts, but cannot reply to you.
- If possible, make your X account private
- Sign petitions where possible, calling for Elon not to remove the block feature, and for global leaders to hold Musk and X to account for putting users at risk of online harm.
- If you have children over 13 but under 18, talk to them about the risks of using this platform. Do not allow your kids who are under 13 to use this platform.
- Avoid posting any creative material, if you have to post your work, make sure to copyright the image first, and insert a watermark onto your images.
DONT:
- Share any artwork, graphic design content, or any content creation work of yours, these could be stolen by bad actors or bots, and then claim the work as their own
- Post anything personal, especially if it puts you at risk of any kind of abuse — including harassment, mockery, or hate speech
- Post sensitive information — bank card details, home addresses, phone addresses
- Upload images of anything sensitive — such as birth certificates, passports, proof of age cards
- Upload images from google maps of residential areas
- Use your activist and personal account under the same user handle
What does this mean for me?
This will mean anything deeply personal, I will post it on threads instead of X, due to stringent moderation features. Sure, threads isn’t perfect (no social media platform is, in fact) — but it gives users to control who can follow, reply to, and view their posts. And it allows for slur words to be hidden too. As a victim of cyber harassment spanning half a decade, I will not give any stalker or troll any incentive to harass me on X/Twitter, and so I will be ultra vigilant about what I post.
Also, due to concerns about my content, art and work being stolen or copied by bad actors, I will no longer post any content relating to my photography, art, or any content that is about creativity, fashion, art, graphic design etc. on X/Twitter. I was able to block known individuals who were found to engage in theft of people’s work, but soon, I am no longer able to prevent them from seeing my content. Luckily, I deleted my photography account at the beginning of this year. I will not share anything that puts me at risk of stalking, harassment or having my work stolen by bad actors/thieves.
As I start to get into modelling and fashion going forwards, I will be creating heaps of content but it will not be on X/Twitter. There are plenty of platforms I will use when I join the fashion and modelling industry.
PETITONS
