YouTube makes 'dislike' button private

YouTube has made the dislike feature private to promote respectful interactions between users. The dislikes on a video are now only viewable to the content creator. The move was aimed to reduce the amount of harassment and dislike attacks on creators' videos.

Users will still be able to use the dislike button but the number of dislikes will be hidden from viewers. YouTube thinks that this help to reduce attacks on creators by viewers who are aiming to drive up the number of dislikes on a video.

New creators had complained previously, about being unfairly targeted in this way. The video streaming platform admits that the experiment revealed that this behavior "does occur at a higher proportion on smaller channels."

However, creators will be able to find the exact number of dislikes in YouTube studio with other metrics as well. Viewers can also share their feedback with the creators privately. The app claims that it is committed to creating "an inclusive and respectful environment where creators have the opportunity to succeed and feel safe to express themselves."