X Premiumusers have been able to veil the posts they ’ve liked for months now , but the lineament may presently become the default option for everyone . A managing director of applied science at X said the platform is making like individual in a Tuesday post , noting that public the like may be warn the great unwashed from engaging with content that might be considered “ edgy . ”
Yeah , we are reach like individual .
Public like are incentivizing the wrong behavior . For example , many citizenry feel discouraged from like content that might be " uptight " in fear of revenge from trolls , or to protect their public image .
Photo: Patrick Pleul/picture alliance (Getty Images)
shortly you ’ll be capable to like without … https://t.co / vPGllc4pB0
— Haofei ( @wanghaofei)May 22 , 2024
“ Yeah , we are making likes private , ” Wang pronounce in atweet . “ Public likes are incentivizing the wrong behaviour . For example , many multitude sense demoralised from liking content that might be ‘ nervy ’ in fear of retaliation from trolls , or to protect their public simulacrum . ”
Wang noted that before long , “ you ’ll be able to like without worrying who might see it . ” Notably , Elon Musk liked this tweet , as uncover by his public likes . Currently , most drug user on X have their likes in public displayed on their profiles , which shows all substance abuser the posts they ’re engaging with . X startedoffering paying user an alternative to hide their likeslast September , but Wang ’s tweet suggests the feature may be expanding broadly .
Twitter ’s public like feature has historically let on the “ jittery ” capacity celebrities and public figures are enjoying at any given moment . It ’s the feature of speech everyone forgets about but always comes back to bite them . Senator Ted Cruz ’s Twitter accountonce wish a adult TV , but then he blamed a staffer and said “ It ’s not fail to pass off again . ” Samuel L. Jackson was oncecaught liking hard-core pornographybut then unliked all of them once his fans warn him they were public . And of course , Musk ’s own public likes have placed him in red-hot water system before . In 2022 , Muskliked an anti - trans tweetfrom the infamous right - wing account , Libs of TikTok .
Currently , Elon Musk ’s liked tweet reveal that in the last week , the proprietor of X has likeda meme saying Dr. Anthony Fauci is really Dr. Evil , a mememaking play of trans activists , and awholelotoftweetsabout himself .
This change falls in pipeline with Musk ’s broader vision for X to conceal like and reposts more broadly . Previously , Musk revealed a long - term program tohide likes and repost counts on the timeline , creating a cleaner experience that only shows the view consider . He croak on to excuse that you ’ll only be capable to see likes and reposts when you select the literal post . This change has n’t happened yet , but Musk say it is “ unquestionably happen . ”
make X ’s wish private would sure let folks employ more freely with substance on the platform . Your likes on X contribute to the algorithm ’s truth in urge you more subject matter , so it could improve the user experience . However , it also take by a key answerability feature that made Twitter so entertaining .
Anthony FauciElon MuskInternet slangLike buttonX ( Twitter )
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