Reddit Is Bringing Much-Needed Changes To Its Blocking Feature

Reddit has announced a new “revamped blocking experience” that streamlines how blocking works. Previously, blocking a user would only hide the user’s posts, while the person on the other end could still see their content. With this new update, blocked users can no longer interact or see posts.

The company made the announcement through a post on the r/blog subreddit. “We’re listening to your feedback and designed an experience to meet users’ expectations and the intricacies of our platform,” the announcement read (via Engadget).

It’s somewhat baffling that this feature didn’t exist already, especially with the knowledge of how other social media apps handle the process of blocking individuals. The previous implementation was more of an alternative to muting than actual blocking. Thanks to this new move, stalking and harassment can finally end.

Reddit notes that the blocking feature would work differently against moderators. For example, if you block a subreddit moderator, that person could still view posts if you post on the subreddit they moderate.

Meanwhile, users can continue to see posts from someone they blocked. “Keeping content accessible allows you to protect yourself from harassment that would otherwise be unseen,” the company said.

Reddit said it would find “additional proactive measures” to improve user experience in the future

The platform seems to have received tons of feedback from its users about this particular aspect of the experience. As with any social media platform out there, Reddit also has its pros and cons.

Reddit then discussed what’s coming in the future. “We know that this is just one more step in offering a robust set of safety controls. As we roll out these changes, we will also be working on revamping your settings and finding additional proactive measures to reduce unwanted experiences,” the company said.

The platform came under immense scrutiny in August over failing to curb pandemic-related misinformation. In response, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said the platform won’t ban communities or subreddits that “challenge the consensus views on the pandemic.”

More recently, the U.S. House Select Committee sent subpoenas to Meta, Alphabet, and Reddit regarding the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. So to say that Reddit is going through a bit of a rough patch would be putting it mildly.