YouTube has put out a long-awaited change that will greatly benefit creators on the platform. The firm has declared that dislike counts on videos would no longer be shown. This does not mean that users will not be able to view or use the dislike button; it simply means that the dislike count will not be accessible to visitors.
YouTube said that it will be doing so to keep small creators from being targeted by dislike attacks and harassment. The company had conducted a test run earlier this year, following which it learnt a reduction in dislike attacking behaviour. “Based on what we learned, we’re making the dislike counts private across YouTube, but the dislike button is not going away. This change will start gradually rolling out today,” YouTube said.
Creators will still be able to find their exact dislike counts in YouTube Studio, along with other YouTube metrics. On the other side, viewers will be able to dislike videos to tune their recommendations.
The move could also make certain users unhappy as the dislike count helped them see whether or not a video can be watched.
“We know that you might not agree with this decision, but we believe that this is the right thing to do for the platform. We want to create an inclusive and respectful environment where creators have the opportunity to succeed and feel safe to express themselves. This is just one of many steps we are taking to continue to protect creators from harassment. Our work is not done, and we’ll continue to invest here,” the company added.
