From Public to Private, Here’s Why YouTube Hid the Dislike Count on All Videos

Video sharing platform YouTube announced last Nov. 10 about its decision to make the dislike count private to reduce “dislike attacking behaviour,” promoting a more respectful online environment between viewers and creators.

The dislike button won’t be removed, but the dislike count will only be visible to the creator for content performance purposes. On the same day, the changes gradually started since YouTube already conducted an analysis last July. It showed that removing the dislike count on YouTube helped protect creators, especially novices, from online harassment. 

In its statement, YouTube said, “We know that you might not agree with this decision, but we believe that this is the right thing to do for the platform.” Read more about YouTube’s efforts in creating a more inclusive platform here.