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Removal of Like Display on 'X' by Musk; Goal: 'Better Protection' of User Privacy

Feb 4, 2026 February 4, 2026 1 min read 📰 VOA Persian
📋 Key Takeaway

Elon Musk's social media platform X has announced changes to make likes private for users, allowing them to see their own likes but not others'. This move is part of a broader effort to enhance user privacy and follows recent updates on adult content policies.

🔍 Quick Context Guide
💡 Bottom Line: The shift to private likes on X underscores a significant move towards user privacy that could reshape social media engagement.

👥 Key Players

Elon Musk MENTIONED
Owner of X (formerly Twitter)
"Musk's ownership and management decisions significantly influence social media dynamics and user engagement globally, including in Iran."
X's Technical Team MENTIONED
Developers and policy implementers
"They are responsible for the platform's functionality and user privacy measures, which can affect how users interact with content."

📰 What Happened

X has announced that likes on posts will now be private, meaning users can see their own likes but others cannot. This change is part of a broader initiative to enhance user privacy.

  • Likes will be private for all users, but the number of likes and notifications will still be visible.
  • This change follows a recent policy update allowing consensual adult content on the platform.

💡 Why It Matters

🇮🇷 For Iran: In Iran, where social media is heavily monitored and censored, enhanced privacy features could provide users with a safer environment to express themselves.
🌍 Regional: This move may influence how other social media platforms approach privacy and content policies in the Middle East.
🌐 International: Internationally, this reflects a growing trend towards prioritizing user privacy, which could lead to regulatory changes in various countries.

📚 Background

Social media platforms have increasingly faced scrutiny over user privacy and content moderation, especially in politically sensitive regions like Iran.

User privacy on social media Content moderation policies
📡 Source: NEUTRAL
📊 Confidence: 70%
This article presents factual changes made by X without apparent bias, focusing on user privacy and policy updates.

The technical team of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), owned by Elon Musk, announced that it is implementing changes that will limit the visibility of posts liked by users. This team stated that 'likes' will be private for all users, emphasizing that this action is aimed at 'better protection' of user privacy. According to this decision, X users will now be able to see the posts they have liked, but others will not be able to see those likes. However, the number of likes and other indicators for users' posts will still be displayed in notifications, and the author of the post can see who liked their posts. These changes come just a few days after an update to X's policies regarding pornographic content. Earlier this month, X announced that its users could publish adult content and pornographic materials that are 'produced and distributed consensually,' provided they are 'properly labeled and not prominently displayed.' Elon Musk, who is now the owner of the social media platform X, purchased this platform, previously known as Twitter, for $44 billion in the fall of 2022 and has made many changes since then.

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Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →

Translation confidence: 85%

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