Twitter, Or 'X,' Hides Likes, Ending Era Of Open Snooping And Ushering In Era Of Unleashed Liking
For all of Twitter history, users could see what posts a specific user "liked" on the platform. While one wonders what utility this feature was initially intended to have, it often resulted in users being caught liking adult content in 4K, such as when Ted Cruz famously got caught liking a Reality Kings video on 9/11 in 2017.
In the latest change to "X" since Elon Musk took over the platform, a user's likes will now be hidden to the public, ushering in an era where Twitter users can like whatever they want with abandon — and people have been signaling exactly the kind of content they'll be "liking" in this new era.
Musk openly stated on X that the change was made to "allow people to like posts without getting attacked for doing so!" X's director of engineering, Haofei Wang, also stated that the change was being made because "many people feel discouraged from liking content that might be 'edgy' in fear of retaliation from trolls, or to protect their public image," according to a report from Economic Times.
Some have speculated that the move could be to manipulate the tenor of political discussion, given the trouble Musk has gotten in previously for engaging with right-wing conspiracy theories on the app.
Whatever the case may be, the immediate response has been a whole lot of wink wink, nudge nudge from the site's enjoyers of uncensored media.
A similar outpouring of smirking happened when Twitter / X introduced Bookmarks, which let others know exactly how many times a tweet had been "saved" but not liked, leading many to realize just how many folks were making sure they could bring up specific "adult content" tweets later.
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ReverendBroom
Elon really be out here just destroying the platform he bought for now fucking reason
Luzno Lindo
Maybe he really will be the end of that website, after all.
Mr. Watcher
He did once try to return it before the sale was final, but it was too late. I can imagine he really doesn't like holding onto it, but doesn't have much choice that doesn't make him look worst.
NutTarZucchini
Welp, look like it got patched.
Kenetic Kups
This is so musky can openly like nazi shit
Mhhahh
this is why i use 4chan
SwipeWire
Weren't JK Rowling's likes the catalyst for the HL boycott? If so, I wish this had happened earlier.
PoliticalCoomer
Nah, that was the start of why people disliked her but that was years ago, by the time of the warthogs legacy boycott she'd be openly siding with all sorts of crazy people just because they also hated trans people.
For example her supporting rad fems that say things like kill and men while also supporting people like matt walsh who believes women should serve men, the only thing both have in common is their dislike of trans folk, showing that JK has gone full brain rot and doesn't care about anything else anymore. Her reportedly being a shut in not leaving her mansion for the last decade plus and spending her time only on social media probably hasn't helped.
ReverendBroom
Jesus, how the mighty have fallen
chausies
I really wish, at the very least, they made it an option. I don't post on Twitter, but I like my friends seeing the things I like, and vice versa. I also liked seeing why I got recommended a tweet (it used to say "X person liked this"), but they got rid of that too. It's a shame ;-;
Yobov
You can still retweet at least.
Turd Sandwich
Watch as Muskrat ends up getting rid of THAT, too.
Mr. Watcher
Elon is really just trying hard to destroy Twitter with many bad changes and people continue to use it.
It's a mystery how this site is still popular enough to stay alive. I get Elon is being paid more with Twitter blue and such, but I don't get why peeps prefer Twitter that much if the site is getting that worse.
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