Twitter has been working on a way to allow users to downvote tweets without it being made public since early 2020, but the company is expanding the feature to more users around the world, not just in the US.
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Dislike was limited to web users, but this broader test of the feature will also apply to some iOS and Android users, where you may start to see a downward-facing arrow on some tweets.
This won't hide the tweet or let the Twitter user or your followers know that you've downvoted it. This is more to help Twitter improve its algorithm and help you find better curated tweets. However, users aren't convinced that what the company says will be true.
Is there a “hide tweet” option instead?
If you use Reddit, you'll see the downvote button everywhere. It's an important part of the site's design, as it shows other users how well the post was received by others.
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But Twitter has moved on to another logic, where downvotes are ostensibly just for the company to help improve its service.
Other companies, such as YouTube, have changed the way “dislikes” are displayed, with the option remaining but the number of “dislikes” being hidden.
But with Twitter, it seems like it's a feature that doesn't need to be there. While the company explains that it's to help the content you see, there's still the bigger problem of harassment and bullying that many users have been subjected to.
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Introducing a downvote button for Twitter's algorithm would be like saying we don't know what it's for, and instead, there should be other features that help curb harassment. A "dislike this tweet" would be beneficial, along with more streamlined ways to report on the platform.
Information source: techradar.com
