Exciting changes are unfolding over at X, formerly known as Twitter, as they roll out updates to their Terms of Service. One of the most talked-about adjustments revolves around the way blocked users will engage with the platform. In the near future, individuals who have been blocked will still be able to view the public posts of the accounts that have blocked them. However, the user who enacted the block retains the power to avoid seeing any posts from those they have blocked, keeping their feed free from undesirable content.
Digging deeper into the new Terms of Service, there’s a noteworthy section that’s catching the eye of artists and content creators. The terms outline that X, along with various “other companies,” have the right to utilize content shared on the platform for an extensive range of uses. They grant X a comprehensive license to use and adapt content across multiple media, which notably includes using this content to train machine learning models, otherwise known as artificial intelligence.
In 2022, tech mogul Elon Musk acquired Twitter, transitioning it into the X we know today. Musk’s era has been marked by a series of groundbreaking changes, such as concealing user interactions like likes and introducing an artificial intelligence tool called Grok. The revision in blocking capabilities is just the latest chapter in Musk’s ongoing transformation of the platform. This shift has prompted concerns from some users who fear the block feature’s alteration might lead to X being removed from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, given the requirement these stores have for apps with User Generated Content to offer a blocking function.
As of this moment, X users still have the option to opt out of the Grok AI training through their settings. However, with the new Terms of Service set to take effect on November 15, it remains to be seen what further changes may ensue. Stay tuned as X continues to evolve in its quest to reshape social media as we know it.
