LinkedIn now lets users block other users on its service, a feature designed to control privacy on the popular networking site. In a post announcing the new option, LinkedIn said the it heard members "loud and clear," and that blocking was added because "it was the right thing to do." That comes after an online petition, which shamed the company over a lack of privacy options, garnered more than 9,000 signatures.

The new blocking option can be accessed from any member's profile page, and puts that person onto a blacklist. Once blocked, neither person can access the other's profile on the site. LinkedIn has also set it so that it removes whatever connection was there, and keeps both individuals from ever showing up on the "Who's Viewed Your Profile" page. Worth noting is that each users can only block up to 50 people.

LinkedIn was slow to add the feature, which is readily offered on other major social networks including Facebook, Google+, and Twitter. Critics argued that being unable to block others made LinkedIn an easy place for stalkers and bullies to keep tabs on others. Those types of controls have become a hot-button issue for social networking companies as they seek to attract more members and encourage posts to be made public.