Hey everybody. Welcome back to the Elon Musk
Podcast. This is a show where we discuss
the critical crossroads, the Shape, SpaceX, Tesla, X, The
Boring Company and Neuralink. I'm your host, Will Walden.
Elon Musk's social media platform X has introduced
private likes for all users, expanding a feature once
exclusive to X Premium subscribers.
This change aims to boost user privacy and genuine engagement
by concealing the identities of users who like posts.
Now, the move was confirmed by X owner Elon Musk, showing the
desire to let users like content without fearing backlash.
Now the private likes feature is explained by X's Director of
Engineering is designed to protect users public image and
encourage engagement with diverse content without
judgment. Users will still see who liked
their posts and the total like count, but others will not see
this information for the moving away from public like counts as
a measure of social approval. Now, the update to private Likes
is part of a broader push by X to enhance user privacy and
foster a safer, more inclusive online environment, according to
X. And by removing the pressure to
conform to public opinion, X hopes to promote more authentic
interactions on the platform. This change will also see the
removal of the Likes tab from user profiles.
Now, X's engineering team announced the feature, stating
it would better protect users privacy.
Users will still be able to see their own liked posts, and the
author of a post can see who liked it.
Metrics such as like counts will continue to appear under
notifications. Maintaining a balance between
privacy and feedback on content popularity and the introduction
of private likes follows a recent policy update by X
concerning adult content. The platform now allows
consensually produced and distributed adult content,
provided it is properly labeled and not prominently displayed.
This policy reflects X's belief in the autonomy of adults to
engage with and create content reflecting their own sexual
beliefs and experiences. Now, however, X maintains strict
prohibitions against non consensual, exploitative or
harmful pornographic content and bans the use of adult content
for profile pictures, banners and other publicly visible
areas. These regulations aim to ensure
that while adult content is permitted, it does not
compromise user safety or violate community standards.
Now, as of Wednesday, the private Likes feature has been
implemented, with the Likes tab no longer visible when viewing
other users profiles. The change was announced through
an update on X and a pop up notification encouraging users
to engage more, suggesting that liking more posts will improve
their 4U feed. Now, this privacy feature was
initially introduced for X Premium subscribers in
September, allowing users to hide their Likes tab.
This option provided users with greater control over their
activity visibility, aligning with the broader trend of
prioritizing user privacy on social media platforms.
And the removal of the Likes tab from public view addresses
privacy concerns, especially considering past incidents where
public figures liked content led to controversies.
For instance, in 2017, Ted Cruz, the senator from the US, liked a
sexually explicit tweet causing a public relations issues that
was later attributed to a staffer.
Sounds like a politician, doesn't it?
Let's blame it on somebody else. That's my thoughts on this one.
It's it's kind of funny though, if you ask me.
Now, by making likes, Private X aims to reduce some public
mishaps and the necessity for disclaimers like likes and
retweets aren't endorsements in user BIOS.
This measure ensures that users, especially public figures, can
interact with content without fearing unwanted scrutiny.
Now, the shift of private likes is part of a series of changes
introduced by Elon Musk since acquiring the platform in 2022.
These changes include the launch of a paid subscription tier,
offering features like more direct messages in the coveted
blue check mark. Musk's tenure has seen
significant policy adjustments aimed at refining user
experience on the platform. Now, the broader context of
these changes include a move towards enhancing user
engagement by reducing performative behaviors.
By making likes on X private, it encourages users to interact
with content they actually enjoy, free from external
judgement, which may contribute to a more positive and authentic
user experience. Now, the policy updates here and
the feature introductions are a concerted effort by X to balance
user privacy with engagement. And while users can still gauge
the popularity of their posts through likes counts, the
emphasis on privacy ensures that this feedback does not come at
the cost of personal exposure or public scrutiny.
The changes are also indicative of XS evolving approach to
content moderation and user interaction, seeking to create a
platform where users feel safe and comfortable expressing
themselves no matter how they want to do it.
This includes accommodating diverse forms of content while
maintaining strict guidelines to prevent abuse and exploitation.
Now the decision to allow adult content with stringent rules on
its display and distribution. It demonstrates X's commitment
to respecting user autonomy while safeguarding the own
community. It's a nuanced approach that
seeks to support free expression within a framework that
prioritizes safety and responsibility going forward.
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