X Platform to Eliminate Public Likes in New Update

X, formerly Twitter, will remove public likes to reduce negative behaviors. This change, confirmed by X engineers, aims to promote genuine interactions and includes new AI-powered features.

Major Change to Public Likes:

• Public likes on the social media app X, formerly Twitter, are set to undergo a significant change.

• Elon Musk, the owner of X, has decided to hide the public likes feature from user profiles.

• The Likes tab will soon be removed from accounts, as reported by various media outlets.

Confirmation of Changes:

• Rumors about the removal of the Likes tab surfaced following a recent report.

• X engineers have now confirmed this development.

Historical Context:

• Likes have been a longstanding feature on Twitter, as well as on other social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

Reason for Removal:

• Haofei Wang, an X engineer, explained the rationale: "Public likes are incentivizing the wrong behavior. To avoid troll reprisal or to maintain their public persona, many users are deterred from enjoying "edgy" stuff."

Changes for Premium Users:

• Previously, X Premium users had the option to hide their likes.

• The platform now plans to remove the likes feature entirely.

Criticism and Concerns:

• Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is among the critics of this change.

• Dorsey questioned why this modification was made and how it was different from bookmarking.

Technical Details:

• Earlier this week, MacRumors researcher Aaron Perris discovered a new flag in the X app for iOS.

• This setting, when enabled, renders every X user's public profile absolutely devoid of the likes tab.

Visibility of Likes:

• Wang explained: "A like is visible to you and the author, who will receive a notification, but it is not visible to anybody else." However, a bookmark is private and accessible only to you."

Introduction of AI-Powered Features:

• Earlier this month, X introduced new AI-powered features to enhance user experience.

• The X engineering team announced that X Premium subscribers will now receive comprehensive summaries of posts associated with each trending story on X.

Accessibility of Curated Stories:

• These curated stories will be accessible under the ‘For You’ tab within the ‘Explore’ section of the platform.

Ongoing Developments:

• X continues to innovate and introduce new features aimed at improving the overall user experience.

• The removal of public likes is part of a broader strategy to encourage more genuine interactions and reduce negative behaviors.

User Implications:

• Users are advised to adjust to these changes, as the public visibility of their likes will no longer be a feature.

• The focus is shifting towards more private and personal ways of engaging with content, such as bookmarks.

Conclusion:

X's removal of public likes and addition of AI features reflect a strategic shift toward enhancing user experience and fostering healthier online interactions.