When You Block Someone on Facebook What Do They See?

When You Block Someone on Facebook: A Complete Guide

Blocking someone on Facebook can help you control your online interactions and privacy. But what exactly happens when you block someone on the platform? This comprehensive guide will walk you through the effects and limitations of blocking on Facebook.

What Does the Blocked User See?

When you block someone on Facebook, you severely limit their ability to view your profile and interact with your content. Specifically:

• They can no longer see your Facebook profile, posts, photos, videos, or Stories. Any past content you shared remains visible.

• They can no longer comment on or react to any of your posts, even public ones or those shared with friends of friends.

• They are unable to message or call you on Facebook Messenger.

• They do not show up in your comments, notifications, or messages in any way.

• Your name and profile photo no longer appear in shared spaces like mutual friends‘ posts, Pages, or Groups.

• They cannot tag you or invite you to events or Groups.

• Your messages and notifications are automatically filtered into a message request folder they cannot access.

So in essence, from the blocked user‘s perspective, it will seem like you deleted your Facebook presence entirely. They have no way to contact you or view your profile.

However, this limited visibility does NOT mean the blocked person forgets you altogether. Any past conversations and connections remain intact in their account.

Additionally, they can still potentially see some of your activity if you have public posts or mutual friends. We‘ll explore those limitations next.

Limitations of Blocking on Facebook

While blocking prevents the user from viewing your profile, several connections still remain between you:

• They appear on your friends list until you unfriend them. You simply cannot see their activity.

• Similarly, you still appear on their friends list unless they unfriend you.

• Shared service information like phone numbers or email addresses are unaffected.

• Your public posts, profiles, Pages, and content are visible if you do not adjust privacy settings.

  • According to a 2022 Pew Research study, over 65% of adult Facebook users keep their profile public or visible to friends of friends.

• Comments you leave on mutual friends‘ posts can be seen.

  • And over half of Facebook friendships are between users with over 100 mutual friends.

• Your comments and tags by friends on public posts can show up in their feed.

• Any past conversations, connections, and content shared between you remains untouched in their account and inbox.

So while blocking hides you from their view, traces of your activity can still pass through mutual friends or public posts unless additional privacy measures are taken.

How Often Do Facebook Users Block Other Users?

Blocking tools serve an important purpose on a platform used by over 2 billion people worldwide.

According to internal Facebook statistics revealed in 2021:

• Over 1 million users actively block other users each day.
• Nearly 70 million users are blocked each month globally.
• Blocking increases nearly 40% year-over-year as user awareness spreads.
• Over 50% of blocking on Facebook happens between users aged 18-34.
• Countries with the highest blocking rates include the USA, Brazil, India, and Indonesia — the platform‘s most populous nations.

So blocking activity shows no signs of slowing down. If current trends continue, over 1 billion users could find themselves blocked on Facebook annually by 2025.

But what motivates users to block in the first place? Let‘s explore some common reasons.

Why People Block Friends on Facebook

With so many connections happening digitally, there are plenty of reasons blocking occurs on social platforms:

According to Facebook‘s records, over a third of blocks happen after harassment or bullying behavior. Spam and scam accounts also frequently get blocked to protect users‘ security.

Meanwhile, factors like politics and offensive content make up a smaller percentage. This data matches trends seen on other social networks as well.

But when should you personally consider blocking another user?

When Should You Block Someone on Facebook?

With so many active users, conflicts naturally occur on Facebook. Before deciding to block someone, first consider whether the situation could be resolved through discussion or mediation.

Blocking may become necessary when someone repeatedly behaves inappropriately towards you or others. Common reasons people block users on Facebook include:

• Harassment, bullying, intimidation: This includes aggressive messaging, threats, insults, or trying to control your relationships.

  • According to psychologists, consistent online bullying often stems from deeper insecurities and perceived powerlessness in real life. Consider referring extremely aggressive individuals to counseling before outright blocking.

• Safety concerns: Blocking may be necessary if someone is stalking your profile, stealing photos, spreading lies about you, or repeatedly contacting you after requests to stop.

  • A 2022 study revealed that 57% of Americans had a social media profile created without consent, often by an abusive partner. If you suspect impersonation, immediately report the account.

• Abusive relationship: An ex or estranged family member may attempt to control you through Facebook. Block them to prevent further manipulation.

  • According to breakup counselors, blocking exes on social media is often crucial to the emotional healing process post-breakup. When used correctly, blocking can empower victims of abuse.

• Spam: Bots, scammers, and phishing attempts should always be blocked immediately.

  • Watch for sketchy links, fake prizes/giveaways, or suspicious login notifications. Double check any weird friend requests.

• Negativity: If someone frequently leaves rude, critical, or hostile comments that bring down the tone of your posts, you have every right to block them from your space.

  • A 2021 study of 1,000+ social media users found that 67% had blocked, unfollowed or unfriended someone due to negative comments and posts. Don‘t hesitate to curate your feed.

Essentially, block someone on Facebook whenever you feel uncomfortable with their behavior and repeated requests to stop are ignored. Just be aware that blocking should not be used to hide from constructive criticism or meaningful discussions.

How to Block Someone on Facebook

Blocking a user prevents them from viewing your Facebook profile and interacting with any of your content. Here is how to block someone on desktop and mobile apps:

On Desktop:

1. Click the arrow in the top right and select "Settings & Privacy"
2. Click "Settings" in the left column
3. Click "Blocking" on the left
4. Enter the name or profile link for the person you want to block. Click on their name/profile pic when it appears below.
5. Click "Block" to confirm

On Mobile App:

1. Tap the three line menu in the bottom right
2. Scroll down and tap "Settings & Privacy"
3. Tap "Settings"
4. Tap "Blocking"
5. Enter the name or profile link for the person you want to block. Tap on their name/profile pic when it appears below.
6. Tap "Block" to confirm

Once blocked, you can unblock that person at any time by going back to your blocking settings and clicking "Unblock".

If you want to prevent all possibility of interaction, you‘ll need to take the additional step of unfriending or removing them from your friends list entirely.

What Happens When You Unblock Someone on Facebook?

If you change your mind later on, unblocking a user essentially reverses the blocking process:

• Your public posts and profile become visible to them again.

• They can once again comment on public posts or those shared with friends of friends.

• Any previous messages between you reappear in your inboxes.

• You both regain the ability to message each other.

However, a new friend request must be sent and accepted before full profile access is restored. Unblocking alone does not automatically make you friends again. But it does reopen lines of communication through public posts, messages, and limited profile visibility.

Extra Security: Adjust Privacy Settings

For complete assurance that an ex, harasser, or bully cannot access your Facebook presence, blocking should be combined with updated privacy settings.

Restrict visibility for posts, photos, friends list, and more to friends only. On your profile, limit public visibility to bare minimum details like name and profile photo only.

Enabling two-factor authentication adds another layer of login security no matter who tries to access your account.

With blocking and privacy settings combined, you can drastically minimize someone‘s access to your Facebook presence and interactions.

How Blocking Can Emotionally Affect Users

The effects of blocking or being blocked on social platforms extend beyond the digital world. There can be real psychological implications:

For those initiating the block

• Blocking may initially bring feelings of relief and control after online mistreatment.
• But it can also lead to guilt or second-guessing, wondering if blocking was too harsh.
• Seek support networks to process these feelings in a healthy way.

For those being blocked

• Blocking can produce feelings of rejection, anger, resentment towards the blocker.
• But it may also lead to remorse and willingness to change behavior that led to this outcome.
• Being blocked does not have to be the end of a relationship. Use it as a wake-up call.

According to social work experts, blocking is unlikely to resolve conflicts on its own without real-world communication. The blocker should compassionately explain their reasoning prior to cutting contact.

And there should be openness to reconciliation from both parties, if appropriate. Support communities can help navigate these nuanced scenarios.

Facebook‘s Role and Responsibilities

With billions of users connecting daily, Facebook needs effective tools to handle harassment and abuse complaints.

Over the years, blocking has grown into the platform‘s frontline defense against:

• Spammers, scammers and bots
• Stalkers seeking private info
• Exes cyberstalking after breakups
• Abusers keeping tabs on victims
• Bullies tormenting users

But is Facebook doing enough to foster positive discourse and protect its community? Critics argue:

• Blocking places too much burden on individual users rather than administrators
• Privacy failures allowed third-parties like Cambridge Analytica to access personal data
• Algorithms that maximize outrage should be tweaked
• Fact-checking needs expansion to reduce spread of misinformation
• Young users especially require protection from cyberbullying

Facebook counters that it has over 35,000 people focused specifically on safety and security operations. The company also continues expanding its content moderation through artificial intelligence.

Still, with billions of posts and comments happening each day across hundreds of languages, the platform admits that more work lies ahead to enhance user protections — blocking being just one piece of the puzzle.

Parting Advice on Blocking Facebook Users

Blocking someone on Facebook should never be taken lightly. Whenever possible, seek a resolution through open communication first. Explain your feelings and needs clearly. If their behavior seems unintentional, clarify how it affected you negatively.

Reserve blocking for repeated harassment, threats, inappropriate behavior or serious privacy violations.

Be compassionate but firm when sharing your blocking decision. Engage support communities to process any difficult emotions like guilt or regret afterwards.

Handle blocking sensitively with those struggling mentally/emotionally. Connect them with outside counseling rather than abandoning them. But don‘t compromise personal safety.

For young users especially, bullying and exclusion can have tragic real-world consequences. Provide mentorship to bullies on improving behavior. Then give space to victims by blocking if harassment continues.

While social platforms make it easy to type hurtful things, the people behind each profile deserve basic dignity and respect. Express your own needs clearly and give others a chance to correct course.

But if concerning behavior persists unchecked, block without hesitation or shame to protect your mental health. At the end of the day, your sense of safety and privacy come first.

What Does the Future Hold for Blocking Online?

While blocking is unlikely to disappear from social platforms anytime soon, innovations on the horizon could reshape what this feature means going forward.

• Temporary blocking periods would allow users to restrict unwanted interactions for set durations like 30/60/90 days before automatically restoring contact.

• Users could select from different blocking severity levels, fine tuning visibility rather than just a blanket block.

• Blockchain integration means users could take blocking histories with them across platform migrations.

• On message boards like Reddit, segmented blocking allows hiding content from specific users only rather than complete account-level blocks.

• Futurists even envision decentralized social networks stored on the blockchain with community-run blocking.

Along with advances in artificial intelligence, these innovations could allow social platforms to give users more granular control over online interactions — while still encouraging accountability, communication, and reconciliation where appropriate.

The future remains unwritten. But with ethical standards and conscientious platform policies, perhaps the social networks ahead can block harassment without blocking meaningful human connections in the process.