World

Here's why you can't block Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook

It's probably not what you think it is

Web Desk November 14, 2015

PHOTO: AFP

While many of us have heard that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s profile cannot be blocked, some have actually tried to block it and found it to be true.

But if you think this is the case because Zuckerberg is the boss of the social media network, you’re wrong. The real reason is not vanity or a glitch in the system. Instead it is a feature that kicks in when a lot of people try to block a profile.

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Mashable, in 2010, discovered this when they asked Facebook why they get this message:

Screengrab from Facebook

“[This error] is generated when a person has been blocked a certain large number of times,” a Facebook spokesperson told Mashable. “In very rare instances, a viral campaign will develop instructing lots of people to all wrongly block the same person.”

Facebook tests vanishing messages

The spokesperson explained that the purpose of the feature is to protect the experience of the person targeted by such campaigns.

This would mean that Zuckerberg is constantly the target of a viral campaign, an proposition. However, the Mashable piece also notes that blockzuck.com, a viral campaign to mass-block Zuckerberg was the first to bring attention to the Zuckerberg's unblockable status.

Many took to Twitter after several failed attempts to block Zuckerberg:

How is this fair? Mark Zuckerberg is scared. is Facebook dying? https://t.co/3KNINGwQWQ
— Matt Willett (@M_Willett) November 11, 2015

Have you tried blocking Mark Zuckerberg on his page ? ...... #Facebook #android #app go to https://t.co/NrXa2OIzfS
— Andre Abouzzaty (@andrebuklaw) November 5, 2015

Don't even think of blocking #MarkZukerberg on #Facebook. I tried: https://t.co/lQQjhVmjAS pic.twitter.com/GiItg46IR2
— Chung Kai Lim (@ChungKaiLim) November 6, 2015

I think #facebook has dug up lots of problems by blocking #Tsu links.
It proves how paranoid #MarkZuckerberg is with even slight competition
— Sachin S. Kar (@SachinSKar) November 7, 2015

Try blocking mark Zuckerberg you won't be able to its funny trick try it.
— Adeel Abbas🇵🇰 (@im_adeel) November 8, 2015

This article originally appeared on Mashable

COMMENTS (5)

Marvin | 8 years ago | Reply Personally, I think Mark's idea is simple, which to create a better social networks for the world. I was impressed of what Facebook did a good job of protecting personal information and data. I founded one website about Mark's initial idea of creating Facebook on Amolink, this will give you a better idea.

Ellen Ripley | 8 years ago | Reply One should be able to block him, just like all of us "normal people"