Twitter: Downvote button now being tested worldwide

Twitter: Downvote button now being tested worldwide

San Francisco, Feb. 5, 2022

Twitter announced that it will expand a test of its new downvote button to Android and IOS worldwide after receiving positive feedback on the feature. The actual number of downvotes is hidden from the public as well as the person who posted the tweet.

The downvote feature helps Twitter figure out what types of responses its users don’t find relevant, the company said. Based on the feedback, Twitter can change which responses are displayed to the user casting the vote, creating a mechanism for users to „flag content they don’t want to see.“

However, critics point out that this feature has the potential to increase toxicity and negativity in Twitter groups, as it could exacerbate coordinated attacks on specific users.

Facebook has also experimented with a downvote button, but never fully implemented it. Last year, YouTube said it now hides the number of public downvotes to combat „attack mobs.“ The downvote button remains, and creators can still view the metric privately.

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