X's New Blocking Feature Sparks User Exodus to Bluesky

X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has made a significant change to its blocking feature, leading to a wave of users migrating to alternative platforms like Bluesky. The update, first hinted at by X owner Elon Musk in late September, was officially announced by the company, altering how blocked accounts interact with public posts.

X's New Blocking Feature

Previously, users who blocked an account would not see any content from that account. However, under the new policy, blocked accounts can now view public posts from the account that blocked them. This change restricts blocked accounts to only viewing public posts; they are still unable to interact with the content, such as liking, replying, or reposting.

It's important to note that this update does not affect protected posts. Users can choose to make their posts private, visible only to their followers. To protect your posts on X, follow these steps:

1. Open the X app and navigate to Settings.
2. Select Privacy and Security.
3. Click on Audience.
4. Enable the "Protect your Tweets" option.

Bluesky's Surge in Users

The updated blocking feature has triggered a substantial increase in users migrating to Bluesky, a text-based social media platform founded by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. Within 12 hours of X's announcement, Bluesky witnessed a surge of over 100,000 new users, reaching 500,000 within 24 hours. This influx of users comes after a similar surge in September 2024 when X was blocked in Brazil, resulting in Bluesky gaining approximately 3 million new users.

Bluesky's user base has been steadily growing, reaching over 10 million users, a significant increase from the 6 million users it had in July 2024. The recent influx of users attributed to X's blocking policy update has further fueled Bluesky's growth, solidifying its position as a viable alternative to X.

The migration of users from X to Bluesky highlights the growing dissatisfaction with X's recent changes and the desire for alternative platforms that prioritize user control and freedom of expression. This shift in user behavior suggests that social media platforms need to be responsive to their users' needs and expectations to retain user engagement and loyalty.