As you might have noticed, we LOVE talking about social media here 👀 Even more particularly about changes going on each platform that can affect the platform itself, the user experience, and the advertising capabilities.
And yes, this is another post about how CRAZY Twitter/X is going.
Since our first article about changes coming to Twitter/X was published, our main question has been: “What is Going on With Twitter/X? “Honestly, at this point, that is kind of a state of mind.
What Happened Now?
Well, two important changes have been announced/executed on the platform. One involves your account privacy, and the other involves your rights over your content. Regardless, both changes affect platform usage and have caused another exodus of users to other platforms, including BlueSky and Threads. The number of people opening profiles on other platforms was so massive that Bluesky went down after seeing more than 100,000 new signups after these announcements.
Change ONE—The Block Function
I hope we all know what blocking is. Still, if you need a reminder, blocking prevents someone from seeing your content online or contacting you. When you block someone online, they cannot access you or your profile. Depending on the platform, you might not even appear if searched for. If someone tags you on something, the tag won’t be visible; if you comment on something, your comments do not show either.
Or so it should be.
In a recent announcement, Twitter/X said, “The block feature was changing.”
In short, if you have a public profile, the people you block will still be able to see what you are doing online, your content, and your responses but won’t be able to interact with you.
Why is this bad, you ask? Let’s start with the basics: people use the block feature for more than just preventing someone from contacting them. Personally, when I block someone, it is not only because I do not wish to speak with them but also because I do not want them to know what I am up to, and I am sure I am not the only one.
Of course, there is always the option to set the profile private according to Twitter/X; however, this might be impossible for influencers, artists, and people who live from their public profiles—which imposes a risk to them as there will be no way for them to prevent stalkers and bad people from knowing what they are doing.
This change can put the most vulnerable users at risk.
Change TWO—AI Training
Back when Elon tried to impose reading limits on the platform, they posted an announcement—which they eventually deleted—making it very clear that they were against bots and AI using the platform’s content to train their models. However, it seems that has changed.
On their terms of service, under the “Your Rights and Grant of Rights in the Content” section, there is a paragraph that reads:
“By submitting, posting, or displaying Content on or through the Services, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display, upload, download, and distribute such Content in any and all media or distribution methods now known or later developed, for any purpose.”
Ok, that might be a little broad—but if you move a couple of lines below that text, there is a particular line that clarifies:
“You agree that this license includes the right for us to (i) provide, promote, and improve the Services, including, for example, for use with and training of our machine learning and artificial intelligence models, whether generative or another type.”
This is a HUGE change, considering what Twitter/X told us before about using the content shared on their platform to train AI models. On top of that, these new terms do not clearly state whether there is an option to opt out. Before the new policies went live, you could opt out of sharing data by going to “settings” and then “privacy and safety,” but we are unsure if this option will remain available given the new terms of service.
How Does This Affect The End Users?
Well, let’s start by saying bye-bye to privacy, control over content, and safety on the platform 🙃
If you, as a business, influencer, or creator, rely on Twitter/X for brand building, content promotion, and community engagement, these shifts could mean you need to reevaluate your social media strategy entirely. The platform’s evolving policies may seem increasingly hostile to the needs of users who want control over their online presence and the privacy of their interactions.
Whether you’re an everyday user, influencer, or business, these changes are significant, and how you adapt may affect your future on Twitter/X. Keep an eye on the evolving policies, and as always, stay informed—because in this digital age, your data and privacy are more valuable than ever.
