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.
Hey, thank you so much for listening today. I really do appreciate your support. If you could take a second and hit the subscribe or the follow button on whatever podcast platform that you're listening on right now, I greatly appreciate it. It helps out the show tremendously and you'll never miss an episode. And each episode is about 10 minutes or less to get you caught up quickly.
And please, if you want to support the show even more, go to patreon.com/stage Zero and please take care of yourselves and each other and I'll see you tomorrow.