Elon Musk announced ”X” (formerly Twitter) plans to eliminate the block button on the platform. The block button — a common feature on major social media platforms — allows users to block other users from seeing and engaging with their content. We know the harms that will flow out of this change. Removing the block button will make it easier for abusers to target users with harassment, hate, and other attacks. Our concerns are not abstract: It is well-documented that women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community are disproportionately targeted by online harassment and abuse.

Here’s where Apple, Google, and the app stores come in: 99% of mobile devices in the U.S. are Google or Apple products. Through the Google Play and Apple App Store, these companies set terms and conditions that apps must follow and app developers must comply with to be available on Google or Apple devices. As long as they enjoy this gatekeeping power, Google and Apple have the responsibility to ensure apps hosted through their app stores give users the tools necessary to protect themselves from hate and harassment online.

Google’s own policies specifically require social media applications to have a block feature for content and users. Apple's policies are more vague, leaving room for interpretation as to whether users or the platform have the ability to use blocking. Therefore, we’re calling on Google to enforce its existing terms of service for the App Store. And we are calling on Apple to clarify its terms of service to, at minimum, require a user-centered block feature to better guard against abusers.

Together, we call on Google and Apple to immediately remove “X” from their app stores if Musk follows through with his plan to eliminate the block button.

Since Elon Musk's acquisition, “X” Twitter has increasingly failed to protect its users. Now he's threatening to take away the block button, a crucial defense for users from online harassment, hate, and abuse. From reinstating Nazis and white supremacists to laying off 80% of his staff, Musk continually disregards the privacy, safety, and security of users.

Our previous work to #StopToxicTwitter led over half of “X”’s (formerly Twitter’s) top advertisers to stop ad spending on the platform to pressure Musk to stop rolling back policies that keep users and brands safe. Now it’s time to put the pressure on Apple and Google. Our demand is clear: If “X” doesn’t have a block button, it shouldn’t be hosted on the app stores. Add your name: Tell Apple and Google to remove "X" from their app stores if Elon Musk eliminates the block button.