Current:Home > StocksLikes on X are now anonymous as platform moves to keep users' identities private-InfoLens
Likes on X are now anonymous as platform moves to keep users' identities private
View Date:2024-12-23 11:37:06
Social media platform X is now hiding your identity from your likes.
In an update posted on the platform formerly known as Twitter earlier this week, X's engineering team said it would be "making Likes private for everyone to better protect your privacy." That means that users will still be able to see their own likes, but others will not — putting an end to a feature that many had long used.
The change went into effect Wednesday. As of the afternoon, the "Likes" tab appeared to only be available on users' own profile page. But when visiting other accounts, that tab is no longer available.
Users also received a pop-up notification that seemed to suggest the change would result in more user engagement.
"Liking more posts will make your 'For you' feed better," the message read.
According to the engineering team's update, like counts and other metrics for a user's own posts will still show up under notifications. Posts still appear to show how many likes they have — but the author will be the only person who can see a list of those who liked it.
The option to hide likes was previously just available to paying Premium subscribers. When X announced that option in September, it said users could "keep spicy likes private by hiding your likes tab."
The hidden like count is one of many changes that have come to the platform since billionaire Elon Musk purchased it for $44 billion in 2022. Beyond a new name and logo, other changes include doing away with the once-coveted blue checks for non-Premium users — and then restoring them to some.
The in-app changes have seen mixed receptions on the platform. In the early days of X stripping the verification badges from prominent officials and news organizations, for example, many voiced misinformation concerns. The platform has also faced both rising user and advertiser pushback amid ongoing concerns about content moderation and hate speech on the San Francisco-based platform, which some researchers say has been on the rise under Musk.
- In:
- Technology
- Elon Musk
- Social Media
veryGood! (12879)
Related
- Singles' Day vs. Black Friday: Which Has the Best Deals for Smart Shoppers?
- Smash Mouth frontman Steve Harwell dies at 56
- Mets slugger Pete Alonso reaches 40 homers to join very exclusive club
- Secession: Why some in Oregon want to become part of Idaho
- Brands Our Editors Are Thankful For in 2024
- Kristin Chenoweth marries Josh Bryant in pink wedding in Dallas: See the photos
- Rutgers rolls Northwestern 24-7, as Wildcats play 1st game since hazing scandal shook the program
- Selena Gomez, Prince Harry part of star-studded crowd that sees Messi, Miami defeat LAFC
- Suicides in the US military increased in 2023, continuing a long-term trend
- Bad Bunny, John Stamos and All the Stars Who Stripped Down in NSFW Photos This Summer
Ranking
- Kid Rock tells fellow Trump supporters 'most of our left-leaning friends are good people'
- Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías arrested near Los Angeles stadium where Messi was playing MLS game
- Reshaped Death Valley park could take months to reopen after damage from Hilary
- Bill Richardson, former New Mexico governor and renowned diplomat, dies at 75
- Voters in California city reject measure allowing noncitizens to vote in local races
- Southeast Asian leaders are besieged by thorny issues as they hold an ASEAN summit without Biden
- Burning Man Festival 2023: One Person Dead While Thousands Remain Stranded at After Rain
- CNN's new Little Richard documentary is a worthy tribute to the rock 'n' roll legend
Recommendation
-
Denzel Washington Will Star in Black Panther 3 Before Retirement
-
Georgia father to be charged with murder after body of 2-year-old found in trash
-
Remains of Tuskegee pilot who went missing during WWII identified after 79 years
-
Thousands still stuck in the muck at Burning Man festival; 1 death reported: Live updates
-
Why Cynthia Erivo Needed Prosthetic Ears for Wicked
-
Minnesota prison on emergency lockdown after about 100 inmates ‘refuse’ to return to cells
-
Burning Man flooding: What happened to stranded festivalgoers?
-
Jimmy Buffett's Cause of Death Revealed