X (formerly Twitter) is currently considering the implementation of a negative button for posts, allowing users to rate content based on its relevance or accuracy. Prior to being acquired by Elon Musk, the microblogging platform had tested both negative and positive buttons in 2021 as a way for users to evaluate tweets similar to Reddit’s system. Now, X is revisiting this feature and considering integrating a downvote button on posts to indicate when content is deemed irrelevant.
The news about the negative button feature was revealed after references were found in the code of the latest iOS app update, suggesting that the company plans to add negative votes to enhance post rankings on the platform. Engineer and analyst Aaron Perris shared this information in a post on X that was picked up by TechCrunch, showcasing 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.