X starts hiding 'likes' on user posts | Social media

The social media platform says the change will better protect users' privacy.

X, formerly Twitter, no longer allows users to see what posts other users have liked.

The change means that users can now only see which posts they have liked.

The social media platform announced the change on Wednesday, saying it would better protect users' privacy.

“You will still be able to see the posts you liked [but others cannot]”the social media company said in a post on X.

“Like counts and other metrics for your own posts will still appear in notifications. You will no longer see who liked someone else's post.”

X owner Elon Musk described the update as a “major change.”

Haofei Wang, director of engineering at X, previously said the site's “Like” feature incentivized bad behavior.

“For example, many people are deterred from preferring content that may be 'disturbing' for fear of retaliation from trolls or to protect their public image,” Wang said last month on X.

The update is the latest in a series of changes since Musk's $44 billion purchase of the influential platform in late 2022.

Since Musk's inauguration, X has dramatically reduced moderation and reinstated previously banned accounts, including those of former US President Donald Trump and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

Musk has argued that his changes have been a boon for free speech, but critics have accused the Tesla CEO of encouraging hateful rhetoric and misinformation.

In its most recent change, X earlier this month updated its guidelines to formally allow users to share sexualized content that is consensual and clearly labeled.