Playing with Likes: X and Instagram Like History

Maybe the most played-with feature of social media platforms since the beginning of time is the double tap; the heart; the like button.

If you haven’t seen it already, X (“formerly known as Twitter”) announced today that it’s scrapping the ability to see likes made by other users.

After much teasing, X’s chief executive officer Elon Musk, finally did it.

According to a post made today by Musk himself, users will still be able to see which posts they’ve liked and who has liked their posts, but not the likes made by others on other users’ posts.

The tab on user profiles showing previously liked content has disappeared.

Musk claims the change was made to help protect user privacy and encourage authentic use of the application.

The revision says Musk, “allows people to like posts without getting attacked for doing so.” He added that public likes discourage people from liking content due to potential scrutiny.

The platform’s overhaul started after Musk’s acquisition of the American social media company in 2022, and has faced a decline in users, value and overall reputation since.

After a late 2023 critique of personal antisemitic remarks, many critics argue Musk’s intent behind dumping the feature is to hide his own behaviour on the platform. But, the chief tweeter has never held back about his personal beliefs.

On a mission to preserve free speech, this is arguably the right step toward a liberated platform, allowing users to like things they actually like without the fear of family, friends or other users’ commentary.

Other platforms have played with likes. If you’re a longtime ( say that lightly) user of Instagram (since before 2019), you’ll remember a time when you could actually see the posts that accounts you followed had liked. The ‘following’ tab was scandalous, to say the least!

In 2021, likes came back to Instagram but in a new way. Users could see one “username” like and “others.”  In 2022, the platform’s users were given the option in advanced settings to show likes to their followers or not show likes to their followers.

For brands and influencers alike, the like count is vital to success.

Engagement rate is a staple when comparing competitors and looking at metrics for sharing brand valuations.

As for freedom of speech, having likes seen by others may inhibit social media platforms’ authentic engagement; hiding the likes protects users from potential abuse.

It’s a true balance of finding what’s right for general users, but it might not be the right implementation for brands on these platforms.

Brands need engagement metrics seen. Companies rely on a follower mentality; if my neighbour likes whatever, I probably should too. And seeing a high like count helps instill trust and shows the significance of a brand.

For X (“formerly known as Twitter”), getting rid of the ability to see likes made by other users may be the right direction for this freedom-touting social media channel. Encouraging realistic engagement and liking posts users agree with, without potential backlash, will help fill individual feeds with similar content - let the algorithm do its job.