In a bold move, Elon Musk’s social media platform X is set to remove public likes, a decision that has ignited a wave of mixed reactions among its user base.
Haofei Wang, X’s Director of Engineering, confirmed the impending change, stating, “Yes, we are making likes private.”
Following the removal of public likes, users will no longer have visibility into which posts others have liked on their profiles.
This strategic shift was first unveiled by Aaron Perris, a researcher at MacRumors, who stumbled upon a new feature in the X app for iOS that disables the likes tab on users’ profiles. Explaining the rationale behind this decision, Wang highlighted, “Public likes often incentivize undesirable behaviors. Many users refrain from engaging with ‘edgy’ content out of fear of potential backlash from trolls or to safeguard their public image.”
Wang emphasized that by making likes private, users can interact more authentically, fostering an environment conducive to genuine engagement. Moreover, he suggested that this adjustment would enhance the platform’s recommendation algorithm, refining the content tailored to each user’s preferences. However, despite these anticipated benefits, the announcement has left many uncertainties lingering.
Offering clarification on the upcoming changes, Enrique Barragan, X’s Senior Software Engineer, affirmed that users would still be able to view who liked their own posts, and the total number of likes on posts and replies will remain visible. The key alteration lies in the removal of the feature displaying who liked others’ posts and the elimination of a tab showcasing a user’s liked posts.
In contrast to many of Musk’s previous announcements, this initiative appears poised for swift implementation. While X had previously permitted Premium subscribers to conceal their likes, this forthcoming update will enforce the change universally.
The primary objective, as elucidated by Wang, is to shield users from potential repercussions for engaging with contentious content. By privatizing likes, X aims to cultivate a more inclusive and less judgmental atmosphere within its digital community.
