Elon Musk, known for his bold ideas, is stirring the social media pot once again by planning to make likes on X anonymous. This move is aimed at encouraging free expression and protecting users from backlash for liking certain content. However, many see this as a way for users to approve posts without taking a stand, catering to those who fear social retaliation. The real motive behind this change is suspected to be masking the platform’s issues with spam, bots, and platform manipulation, all of which have plagued X since Musk took over.
Musk’s decision to hide the identities of those liking posts raises concerns about transparency and accountability on the platform. By concealing this information, X may become more susceptible to inauthentic engagement, making it easier for entities like foreign governments and individuals to manipulate the narrative and create artificial support for their ideas. Musk’s track record of platform manipulation and inconsistencies in his motives, such as citing spam bots as a reason for acquiring Twitter while simultaneously using it as an excuse to back out later, further fuels skepticism about his intentions with these changes. Ultimately, the move to anonymize likes could potentially make it harder for users to discern authentic interactions from orchestrated ones on X.
