X to Make Likes Private for All Users
In a significant update, X, formerly known as Twitter, is rolling out a feature that makes likes mostly private for all users. This change aims to protect users, including politicians and public figures, from potential backlash and PR crises caused by their likes being publicly visible. Elon Musk emphasized the importance of this update, allowing users to “like posts without getting attacked for doing so.”
Important to allow people to like posts without getting attacked for doing so! https://t.co/3O1bG7wIGe
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 11, 2024
Historically, X has displayed users’ likes publicly, which has occasionally led to embarrassing situations for public figures caught liking controversial or inappropriate tweets. By making likes private, X hopes to mitigate these issues and provide a safer environment for all users. This feature was initially introduced as an exclusive perk for X Premium subscribers last year, with the platform encouraging users to “[K]eep spicy likes private.”
keep spicy likes private by hiding your likes tab 👀🌶️
available to Premium subscribers
Premium > preferences > early access pic.twitter.com/52eJ6r2feG
— X (@X) September 14, 2023
The update was confirmed through a tweet from X’s Engineering account, stating that likes will become private for everyone this week. Under the new system, users will no longer be able to see who liked someone else’s post. This change aims to eliminate the potential for PR crises caused by public figures liking contentious content. However, users will still be able to see who liked their own tweets, along with the like count and other engagement metrics for their posts.
This new feature might reduce one of the incentives for subscribing to X Premium, as the ability to hide likes was previously a benefit exclusive to premium users. X has been grappling with declining advertising revenue, which led to the introduction of multiple subscription tiers to stabilize its financial situation. The Premium+ tier, costing $16 per month, removes ads from users’ timelines, while the basic tier, priced at $3 per month, does not include the blue checkmark.
Elon Musk has highlighted that making likes private is crucial for user protection. The platform aims to foster a more open and engaging environment where users can interact with content without fear of public scrutiny. This update aligns with a broader trend of increasing user privacy on social media platforms.
X’s decision to make likes mostly private marks a significant shift in its approach to user privacy and engagement.
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