X Gets Tougher on Trolls: Downvoting Replies with a Dislike Button

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly referred to as Twitter), is operating on a downvoting function to improve how replies are ranked on posts. While no longer officially introduced, latest discoveries advise it would seem like a “dislike” button.

This function is different from a 2021 test wherein Twitter (earlier than the purchase) examined upvoting and downvoting for all posts. X appears to be specializing in replies only, aiming to sell valuable responses and decrease people with fewer likes. This could discourage content supposed to provoke terrible reactions and benefit engagement through dislikes.

Earlier in July, consumer Aaron Perris found references to a downvote characteristic in the X iOS app. Now, he has located evidence of a broken coronary heart icon potentially representing the button, together with more direct mentions of the characteristic itself. Screenshots shared by means of Perris on X display new references to “downvoting” and activate asking users to verify their dislike. The wording (“this post”) raises questions about whether or not X might extend downvoting past replies inside the future. Another user, @P4mui, even shared motion pictures showcasing the dislike button in action. They referred to the button regarded best for replies and weren’t certain if that might change. Interestingly, the dislike button was additionally reported visible on an X employee’s account in a video demo, however the publish was later deleted without it.

The growing sightings propose X is possibly undertaking greater public assessments of the detest button. This comes along with X’s recent choice to hide like counts, perhaps encouraging users to have interaction with “edgy” content material without disturbing public notion.