The X platform has taken a big step in providing users with a freer interaction environment. Now, only you will see the posts you like; other users will not be able to see these likes.
The change is intended to allow X users to interact with content more freely and freely in the app. Here’s all you need to know…
Why is X hiding likes?
X is taking the important step of hiding likes and reshaping the user experience and interaction dynamics. Here are the key reasons behind this decision:
- To increase user freedom
- Improving the content algorithm
- Aim to increase engagement on controversial content
- New opportunities for adult content creators
- Public accountability and suspicious behavior
To increase user freedom
As X engineer Haofei Wang points out, the public nature of likes can encourage users to misbehave. Users may hesitate to like content that reflects their true interests for fear of retaliation from trolls or to protect their public image. Hiding likes removes these concerns, allowing users to engage with content more freely.
Improving the content algorithm
Hiding likes allows users to express their true interests more freely, allowing X’s content algorithm to understand user interests more accurately. As a result, content that users are interested in is more likely to appear in their feeds.
Aim to increase engagement on controversial content
Hidden likes allow users to engage more easily with controversial or edgy content. This can create a more diverse and dynamic flow of content on the platform, allowing users to interact with different perspectives without fear of judgment.
New opportunities for adult content creators
With X updating its adult content policy, hiding likes could increase engagement with such content. Adult content creators can share their content more freely, and users can engage with it. This could contribute to X creating new revenue models.
Public accountability and suspicious behavior
Hiding likes reduces users’ fear of interacting with more private interests. However, it can also lead to reduced public accountability and the possibility that some users behave more suspiciously. X aims to improve the user experience by striking this balance.
While this change may not seem like a major transformation, it could be an important step in shaping the user experience and interaction on the X platform. Hiding likes will allow users to interact more freely and comfortably on the platform, which could be a harbinger of future innovative steps X could take.
Featured image credit: Alexander Shatov
