Elon Musk has said his social media company X (formerly Twitter) would scrap a feature that allows users to block posts from specific accounts.
Gatekeepers News reports that Musk announced this in a post on Friday.
He posted, “Block is going to be deleted as a ‘feature’, except for DMs,” indicating the option would still be available for “direct messages” between users of the microblogging platform.
The feature is used to restrict interaction with specific accounts on the platform.
The tycoon has repeatedly cited a desire for free speech on the platform, and lashed out at what he sees as the threat posed to free expression by changing cultural sensitivities.
Since Musk bought the social media platform for $44 billion last October, its advertising business has collapsed, in part because of its looser approach to blocking hate speech, and the return of previously banned far-right accounts.
A non-profit organisation, Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), said hate speech has flourished on the platform.
X has disputed the findings and is suing the CCDH.
