Elon Musk’s social network X is making a major change by preparing to make “Likes” private, sparking confusion among users. The decision to hide “Likes” is aimed at incentivizing engagement and protecting users’ public image. However, this move has raised questions about the effectiveness of this solution.
Users will now be able to see who liked their posts and the like count for all their posts and replies. This semi-private nature of “Likes” may still deter users from engaging with certain content, especially if it is considered controversial or edgy.
The shift from public “Likes” to private ones has also eliminated the ability to see other people’s likes or browse through someone’s likes tab on their profile. While this may prevent snooping, it also removes a useful discovery feature for users.
Many users are expressing disappointment with this change and suggesting alternative solutions, such as making “Likes” private as an option rather than a default setting. Some are concerned that privatizing “Likes” could lead to manipulation by creators using bots to boost their content.
Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has also weighed in on the debate, suggesting that the platform should have never moved away from the star icon for likes. This sentiment has garnered support from many users.
Overall, the move to make “Likes” private on X has sparked a debate about the future of user engagement on social networks and the best way to balance privacy with algorithmic personalization.