Twitter might remove the 'like' button in an effort to improve debate – report

CEO Jack Dorsey getting pushback for statements made about how to spur 'healthy discourse'

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Tracy Le Blanc/Pexels

Twitter is split on another issue again — but this time the heat is directed at the social media platform itself. 

Telegraph reported that CEO Jack Dorsey has thought about removing the "like" button on the site. Apparently the CEO isn't a fan of the pink heart button that allows users to "like" tweets they agree with or approve of, instead of starting a conversation about a topic. 

At a recent Twitter event, Dorsey said he would get rid of the function "soon" to encourage healthy discourse on the platform, according to Telegraph.  


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"We have a big like button with a heart on it and we’re incentivizing people to want it to go up," Dorsey said at the WIRED25 summit. "Is that the right thing? Versus contributing to the public conversation or a healthy conversation? How do we incentivize healthy conversation?"

But the challenges faced over the nature of Twitter's debate may run deeper than just getting rid of the button. 

For users who have faced threats and harassment on the platform, this may not be enough. Or, it could incite more harmful language. 

In a statement posted on the platform from Twitter's communications account, the company said it did not have a plan "to share right now." 

"As we've been saying for a while, we are rethinking everything about the service to ensure we are incentivizing healthy conversation, that includes the like button. We are in the early stages of the work and have no plans to share right now," the statement read. 



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