Elon Musk was not shaken by actor James Woods’ menace to cease utilizing X, ought to the social media platform eliminate its blocking function: “Then delete your account,” the CEO countered.
The brusque reply, which the billionaire posted to X on Sunday, got here after Woods, a one-time Musk supporter, vowed to depart the platform, previously often called Twitter, if Musk stripped customers’ skill to bar sure accounts from viewing, and interacting with their posts.
“Within the midst of a libel swimsuit I used to be focused by thirty trolls the defendant enlisted to harass me,” Woods mentioned in a post final week when the information got here out. “If [Musk removes X’s blocking feature], I’ll don’t have any selection however to retire from this web site.”
Musk, who calls himself a free speech absolutist, announced in a publish final Friday that X would finish customers’ skill to restrict their interactions with sure accounts “apart from DMs,” adding in a later publish {that a} block function “is unnecessary” for the platform. The potential change brought on an uproar amongst customers, a few of whom, like Woods, have additionally vowed to depart X ought to the function be eliminated.
“I’ll completely delete my account and depart this app if X makes an attempt to even *take a look at* this coverage, wrote one consumer. “It is completely sick and disgusting.”
“As a feminine local weather scientist, blocking is the one factor that makes my engagement right here on Twitter/X attainable,” one other consumer said.
Obstacles to eradicating function
It stays unclear if or when X’s account-blocking function could come to an finish. If the change goes into impact, X could possibly be faraway from the Google Play and Apple app shops — probably deepening the social media platform’s financial troubles. Each digital storefronts require apps involving user-generated content material to supply a blocking function.
X responded to CBS MoneyWatch’s request for remark with an electronic mail saying “We’ll get again to you quickly.”
Boosting free speech — or income?
In one other publish, Woods challenged interpretations of X’s coverage change as a step towards selling free speech on the platform, speculating that the choice had extra to do with boosting the location’s advert income.
“Customers of X are mere pawns to show the location into an digital shopping center,” Woods mentioned in a post on Saturday. “The person I assumed was a defender of free speech is simply one other grasping capitalist.”
Final month, Musk revealed the social media firm’s advertising revenue had plunged roughly 50%. X additionally faces competitors from various microblogging platforms like Meta-backed Threads and Bluesky.
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