Elon Musk announced a new feature for X, “private likes,” which will launch on Wednesday. The feature will conceal users’ likes, enhancing privacy on the platform. Musk emphasized the importance of liking posts without fear of backlash.
“Private likes” aim to foster a more authentic engagement on X. Users can now support content discreetly, without concerns about public perception.
Haofei Wang, X’s director of engineering, explained last month that this change protects users’ images.
According to Haofei Wang, X’s director of engineering, public likes on social media can encourage undesirable behaviour. He pointed out that the fear of trolling often prevents users from engaging with certain posts. By implementing private likes, users can interact with content that truly resonates with them without external pressures.
Wang also highlighted an added benefit: improving the “For You” algorithm. The more a user likes posts, the more tailored their feed becomes. Only the content author will see who liked their posts, not the broader public.
Wang suggested future updates could allow users to customize this feature further, enhancing user control over their social media interactions.
