Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino has stressed that users’ safety is their “number one priority” a day after Elon Musk announced that blocking feature will be removed from X, formerly known as Twitter. The CEO also stated that they are working on something better than the current block and mute features.

Ms Yaccarino’s statement came in response to a post by anti-bullying activist Monica Lewinsky, who urged the Twitter CEO and Elon Musk to rethink their decision of removing the block feature.

“Please rethink removing the block feature. As an anti-bullying activist (and target of harassment) I can assure you it’s a critical tool to keep people safe online. – that woman,” Monica Lewinsky tweeted.

hey @elonmusk + @lindayaX …
please rethink removing the block feature. as an anti-bullying activist (and target of harassment) i can assure you it’s a critical tool to keep people safe online.
– that woman

— Monica Lewinsky (she/her) (@MonicaLewinsky) August 19, 2023

Responding to the activist, Linda Yaccarino appeared to defend Elon Musk’s move saying, “Our users’ safety on X is our number one priority. And we’re building something better than the current state of block and mute. Please keep the feedback coming”.

Our users’ safety on X is our number one priority. And we’re building something better than the current state of block and mute. Please keep the feedback coming. https://t.co/ekIvyOhRqQ

— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) August 19, 2023

On Friday, Elon Musk said that Twitter users will no longer be able to block others on the platform. “Block is going to be deleted as a “feature”, except for DMs,” Mr Musk tweeted.

Block is going to be deleted as a “feature”, except for DMs

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 18, 2023

In a separate post, Mr Musk suggested that users could instead mute other accounts once the block feature is gone. “You will still be able to mute accounts and block users for DMs,” he wrote.

You will still be able to mute accounts and block users for DMs

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 18, 2023

According to Twitter, the block feature “helps you control how you interact with other accounts on Twitter. This feature helps people in restricting specific accounts from contacting them, seeing their Tweets, and following them”.  

The feature is used by many on the microblogging platform to avoid harassment, bullying, and stalking.  

Blocked accounts don’t get notified when someone blocks them. However, they can know if a person has blocked them by visiting their profile.

On the other hand, the mute is a feature that “allows you to remove an account’s Tweets from your timeline without unfollowing or blocking that account”. Users cannot know if someone has muted them.