Twitter Considering Implementation of Downvote Button for Posts: Is This the Future of Social Media Evaluation?

In recent news, X (formerly Twitter) is considering the implementation of a negative button for posts, allowing users to rate content based on its relevance or accuracy. This feature was previously tested by the microblogging platform in 2021 as a way for users to evaluate tweets, similar to Reddit’s system. Now, X is revisiting this feature and considering adding a downvote button on posts to indicate when content is deemed irrelevant.

According to engineer and analyst Aaron Perris, who shared this information in a post on X that was picked up by TechCrunch, the company plans to add negative votes to enhance post rankings on the platform. He showcased an inverted yellow arrow-shaped downvote button next to the ‘Like’ heart icon on posts. Additionally, engineer and founder of X Community Notes, Jay Baxter, and Elon Musk himself have also acknowledged this feature.

Baxter noted that negative votes could support the function of commented notes as another method for evaluating publications. However, he emphasized the need to use the negative buttons wisely, cautioning that adding them all up without discretion could lead to a Reddit-like hive mind. To prevent this, X utilizes features such as private ratings from users on comments to maintain a more balanced discussion environment.

It remains to be seen whether X will ultimately implement this feature, but it is clear that the company is continuously looking for ways to improve user experience and engagement on its platform.