X makes Likes private in an effort to encourage user engagement
X to privatize user Likes in an update aimed at encouraging engagement with a wider range of content. Public like visibility is seen as discouraging interaction due to fear of judgment.
Social media platform X will be making user likes private in an upcoming update. This change aims to address concerns that public like visibility discourages users from engaging with content they find interesting but may hesitate to endorse publicly.
Previously, a user's "Likes" tab displayed all posts they had liked. This tab will be removed, preventing others from viewing a user's liked content. However, the total number of likes for a post will still be visible.
X engineers believe that public likes can incentivize negative behavior. Users may avoid liking content they perceive as "edgy" for fear of backlash or reputational harm. By making likes private, X hopes to create a more open environment where users can engage with a wider range of content without fear of judgment.
An additional benefit of this change is the potential for improved personalization. By encouraging users to like more content, X can gather more data to refine its recommendation algorithms and provide a more tailored user experience.
Clarifications on Private Likes:
- Users can still see who liked their own posts.
- The total number of likes for all posts and replies will remain visible.
- Users cannot see which posts other users have liked.
- The "Liked" tab on user profiles will be removed.
