X to hide user ‘likes’ from public view

X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, will start making a user’s “likes” on other posts private, the company said Tuesday.  

The change will still allow users to see which posts they have liked themselves, but will hide them from public view, the X Engineering account announced in a post.

The update will mean a user will no longer see who liked someone else’s post, and will also limit a post’s author to see who liked a post they published.  

X owner Elon Musk called it an “important change” in a post on Wednesday.

It is the latest in a line of changes made to the app, including the name rebranding, since Elon Musk bought Twitter in October 2022 for roughly $44 billion.  

Other changes made under Musk included revamping the verification system, which once verified and gave blue check marks to accounts of certain notable public figures. Instead, Musk made a system in which users can pay for a blue check mark as part of a subscription.  

The hidden likes were also previously a feature offered under the paid subscription service.