Elon Musk’s X, formerly Twitter, is reportedly developing a downvoting feature to improve the ranking of replies. While the company has not officially announced this plan, findings indicate that the downvote feature might resemble a ‘dislike’ button rather than a Reddit-style downvote icon, according to TechCrunch.
Code references found in the X iOS app suggest the presence of a button resembling a broken heart icon next to the platform’s heart-shaped ‘like’ button, along with direct mentions of a ‘downvote’ feature. This feature was initially tested by the company in 2021, prior to the acquisition by Elon Musk.
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Earlier this month, reverse engineer Aaron Perris discovered references in X’s iOS app that indicated a downvote feature in development. Perris recently found additional image files suggesting the button could be styled as a broken heart, along with more direct references to the feature.
Initially, X tested both upvoting and downvoting buttons across all posts. However, the latest tests indicate that the company is considering allowing downvotes only on replies.
In June, Musk confirmed the rollout of a new feature that will hide all likes by default for X users. This change, along with the potential downvote feature, reflects ongoing efforts to refine user interaction and content ranking on the platform.
ALSO READ: Elon Musk and Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis have 3rd baby together
Also in June, Elon Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla, and Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis, confirmed that the couple welcomed a new baby earlier this year. While the public recently learned about their child through media reports, Musk clarified to Page Six that it was never intended to be a secret.
“All our friends and family know. Failure to issue a press release, which would be bizarre, does not mean ‘secret’,” Musk stated.
The baby’s name and sex have not been disclosed. This child is Musk’s 12th and his third with Zilis, who works at his brain implant company, Neuralink. The birth was first revealed in a Bloomberg article titled, “Elon Wants You to Have More Babies,” which highlighted Musk’s concerns over declining birth rates.
Zilis declined to comment for the Bloomberg story, and Musk did not respond to inquiries about the newborn at the time.
Elon Musk and Shivon Zilis previously welcomed twins, Strider and Azure, in November 2021. The twins were born just one month before Musk and alt-pop singer Grimes had their daughter, Exa Dark Sideræl, via surrogacy.
