Entrepreneur Elon Musk and conservative actor James Woods had a discussion on X, formerly known as Twitter, over the weekend after Musk said he will remove the option to block users on the social network.
Woods said Musk's decision will affect people who are targeted on the platform, providing his experience as an example. "In the midst of a libel suit I was targeted by thirty trolls the defendant enlisted to harass me. X will be untenable for people like me, who are willing to share their identities. If he does this, I will have no choice but to retire from this site," Woods wrote in X.
In the midst of a libel suit I was targeted by thirty trolls the defendant enlisted to harass me. X will be untenable for people like me, who are willing to share their identities. If he does this, I will have no choice but to retire from this site. https://t.co/QJ9BgLNwFj
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) August 19, 2023
"Just another greedy capitalist"
The actor insisted that if Musk goes ahead with the measure, it will be no different than the policies implemented by Jack Dorsey on the old Twitter. "Musk, whom I once championed, is only doing this to protect his advertisers anyway. Users of X are mere pawns to turn the site into an electronic shopping mall. The man I thought was a defender of free speech is just another greedy capitalist. Disappointing, but not surprising," Woods said.
Following the actor's comments, Elon Musk responded harshly: "Then delete your account." Woods later posted a screenshot showing Musk had blocked him after the exchange of messages.
You prerogative, sir, which is exactly my point. Have a nice day. pic.twitter.com/qt8ZD3wbM9
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) August 20, 2023
Earlier, Musk explained that he was using the "blocking" feature against those who want the policy to stay in place. "Pretty fun blocking people who complain that blocking is going away. How does the medicine taste?" said Musk.
Pretty fun blocking people who complain that blocking is going away.
How does the medicine taste? 😂😂
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 20, 2023
Last week, Musk announced that the option to block users on the platform will be removed. However, he explained that it will still be possible to restrict other accounts from sending direct messages.
Block is going to be deleted as a “feature”, except for DMs
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 18, 2023
