The Complete Guide to Viewing Blocked Profiles on Facebook

Over 60% of Facebook users take advantage of the platform‘s blocking feature to restrict specific individuals. But few realize that the person they blocked still exists within Facebook‘s interconnected social graph.

In this comprehensive 3k-word guide, we‘ll analyze the intricacies of Facebook blocking, from exactly what content blocked users can (and absolutely can‘t) access to recent changes in how the platform handles restrictions.

You‘ll learn:

• A data-driven deep dive into the effects of blocking
• Step-by-step instructions to access your block settings
• Detailed analysis of blocking vs. unfriending
• Visibility loopholes that allow blocked profiles access
• How Facebook blocking policies have evolved over time

Let‘s get into the data.

The Widespread Impact of Facebook Blocking

Facebook reported 2.96 billion monthly active users as of Q4 2022. With billions of users comes billions of opportunities for annoying contacts you‘d probably like to block.

But what percentage of Facebook users actively block other accounts?

According to a 2021 survey conducted by Statista:

• 63% of Facebook users take advantage of the platform‘s block feature
• 37% have never blocked another user

That means nearly two-thirds of Facebook users actively block certain contacts.

Additionally, over 50% of users restrict friend requests and tags to avoid unwanted interactions:

As this data shows, the average Facebook user wants control over who interacts with them. Understanding exactly how blocking works is key to limiting unwanted contacts.

Now let‘s analyze what happens when you block someone.

What Blocking Actually Does to a Facebook Profile

Blocking another user on Facebook essentially makes your account invisible to them. They will not be able to:

• View or access your profile
• See any of your posts in their feed
• View any photos or content you post publicly
• Send you messages or interact with you

Blocking also automatically unfriends the user, removing your connection:

However, blocking has significant limitations compared to Facebook‘s granular privacy settings and friend restrictions:

Blocking vs. Privacy Settings

Blocking vs. Friend Restrictions

As shown in the data tables above, blocking mainly prevents profile access rather than limiting feed visibility. Custom privacy settings give you tighter control.

Now let‘s walk step-by-step how to access your blocking settings.

How to Access Your Block Settings on Facebook

To view a list of users you’ve blocked on Facebook, you first need to access your blocking settings. Here‘s how:

On Desktop

1. Click the down arrow next to the question mark icon
2. Navigate to Settings & Privacy > Settings
3. Select Blocking in the left sidebar

On Mobile Apps

1. Tap the hamburger ☰ menu
2. Scroll down and select Settings & Privacy
3. Tap Settings
4. Scroll and select Blocking

This will open your blocking settings page that lists every user you‘ve blocked.

Next, let‘s analyze the differences between blocking versus unfriending unwanted contacts.

Should You Block or Unfriend? Pros and Cons of Each

When removing an unwanted Facebook connection, you‘ll need to decide whether to block or unfriend them. But what‘s the difference?

Here‘s an overview of the advantages of each approach:

Pros of Blocking

• Completely hides your profile and content
• Prevents them messaging you
• Does not notify user about being blocked

Cons of Blocking

• Doesn‘t stop notifications about tags
• Access not limited if visiting groups/pages

Pros of Unfriending

• Removes friendship connection
• Lets you still interact publicly
• Notifies user about lost friendship

Cons of Unfriending

• Profile and content remains visible
• User can still send you messages

Key Takeaway:

Choose blocking to completely hide your profile. Choose unfriending to publicly remove a connection without limiting interactions.

Now let‘s explore a major downside to blocking: visibility loopholes.

What Blocked Users Can Still Access on Facebook

While blocking hides your Facebook presence from another user, they still exist within Facebook‘s social graph.

This means blocked contacts can still access limited information:

• Your name and profile photo in mutual friends’ lists
• Public groups you are both members of
• Your comments on mutual friends’ public posts

So while your profile remains hidden, traces of your activity can pop up:

Facebook’s social graph is incredibly interconnected. So even if you block someone, your name may appear if you share connections or public interactions.

Finally, let‘s analyze recent policy changes Facebook has made around its blocking feature.

Recent Changes to Facebook‘s Blocking Policies

Over the years, Facebook has updated their blocking policies to give users more control over unwanted interactions.

Here are two major changes they have announced:

2021: Prevent Re-Adding Blocked Users as Friends

In April 2021, Facebook launched a new feature to prevent blocked users from sending you repeat friend requests or follow-up messages.

Once you block someone, they are permanently unable to send you friend requests again. This stops persistent contacts from repeatedly trying to access your profile.

2022: Support for “Blocked Words” in Comments

In October 2022, Facebook previewed an upcoming “Blocked Words” feature for comments.

This allows you to specify certain words or phrases that will automatically hide unwanted comments on your public posts. This gives you granular control to filter out negative language without blocking every user.

These changes indicate Facebook is expanding blocking capabilities to protect against harassment and unwanted interactions.

The main limitation is that fully blocking a user requires cutting off all social ties. Privacy settings provide more customizable restrictions without resorting to complete blocking.

Takeaways: Managing Blocked Users on Facebook

Blocking contacts on Facebook has widespread use among over 2 billion users. But few people realize what content blocked users can actually see.

Here are the key points to remember:

• Blocking hides your profile but doesn‘t limit visibility everywhere
• Combine blocking with custom privacy settings for tighter restrictions
• Unfriending removes connections but doesn‘t prevent interactions
• Traces of your activity may be visible in groups and mutual friends lists

Learning to balance blocking with privacy settings gives you optimal control over your Facebook experience.

Now you have in-depth knowledge on limiting unwanted interactions. Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions on managing blocked profiles!