Elon Musk announced on Wednesday that X, formerly known as Twitter, is introducing a new feature that will hide all likes by default for its users. This update, called “private likes,” is expected to appear on users' timelines starting Wednesday.
With this new feature, users' likes on the platform will be hidden by default. Musk explained that this will allow people to like content without worrying about who might see it. "It is important to allow people to like posts without getting attacked for doing so," Musk stated.
Last month, Haofei Wang, X's director of engineering, hinted at this change, emphasizing that it aims to protect users' public image. “Public likes are incentivizing the wrong behaviour,” Wang posted on X. He pointed out that many users hesitate to like content that might be considered "edgy" because they fear backlash from trolls or want to maintain a certain public image.
“Soon you'll be able to like without worrying who might see it,” Wang added. He also reminded users that liking more posts helps improve their ‘For you’ algorithm on the platform.
According to X, the new feature will ensure that a like is visible only between the user and the content author. “The author will be notified, but not anyone else. The bookmark is only visible to you. We could even make it customizable for users,” Wang mentioned.
This change aims to create a safer and more private experience for users, encouraging more authentic engagement with content on the platform.
