X (Twitter) announces removal of public likes from user profiles: See why

The social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, is set to undergo a significant change regarding user interaction. Public likes, a core feature allowing users to see which posts others have liked, will be removed from user profiles.

This announcement, made by X's Director of Engineering Haofei Wang, has sparked discussions about the platform's direction and its potential impact on user behavior.

Motivations behind the change

Wang cited concerns about "wrong behaviour" incentivized by public likes as the primary reason for this decision.

He explained that users often hesitate to like "edgy" content due to fear of retaliation or damage to their public image. This, according to X, discourages genuine user engagement and content discovery.

While public visibility of likes will be removed, the functionality itself won't disappear entirely. Users will still be able to like posts as usual, and the total number of likes on a post will remain publicly visible.

However, users won't be able to see who liked a particular post, nor will there be a dedicated "Likes" tab on user profiles showcasing their liked content.

Impact on user experience

The removal of public likes alters the way users interact with content on X. It removes the ability to gauge public sentiment towards specific posts and potentially reduces the sense of community fostered by shared likes.

Additionally, some users might find it less rewarding to like content without the social validation previously provided by a public like count.

While X's leadership claims this change will encourage free expression, it remains to be seen how users will react.

X owner Elon Musk has a history of both proposing and then backtracking on significant platform changes. The possibility of a future reversal on this decision cannot be entirely ruled out.

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