London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 12, 2025

R.I.P. ‘Dislike,’ YouTube’s best button

R.I.P. ‘Dislike,’ YouTube’s best button

YouTube’s removal of its ‘dislike’ counter is among its most tone-deaf moves ever. But it’s not really surprising, as after countless controversies it’s become clear the platform prioritizes ad revenue and hiding public dissent.

YouTube’s recent decision to remove dislike counts on all its videos seems to be yet another indicator that critique, discussion and feedback are slowly becoming things of the past. All to appease those who require complete conformity, and get triggered into a hysterical frenzy anytime someone disagrees with their opinion, rejects their narrative or points out flaws in their thinking.

The fact that people could freely express their dissent has apparently been bothering YouTube for a while now. They first tested the removal of the count earlier this year, but now they’ve made their final decision. The removal will be done gradually, as dislike counts will start disappearing from under videos. The button will still be there, and there will still be a ‘thumbs up’ count, too, but the public won’t be able to see the amount of dislikes. Creators, on the other hand, will still be allowed to see that information, should they choose to.

But the feature that counted the number of dislikes was easily one of the most useful on YouTube and set it apart from other social media websites that only feature 'Like' and 'Share' counters.

If anything, it actually had the practical function of saving time. Before watching a bunch of ads to get to a video that turned out to be clickbait garbage you could simply check the dislike count for an early warning.

And, with the sheer amount of videos on YouTube, a massive chunk of them being 20-minute-long useless tutorials with deafening music, 'leaked trailers' and 'full movie' uploads linking to shady websites, the dislike count was a godsend.

It also allowed users to gauge the truthfulness of a content creator. If a video had a clickbaity title such as ‘the truth about …’ the amount of dislikes quickly gave away the fact that the author was full of it.

But unwatched videos means unwatched ads, and that’s lost revenue for Google. So now users will actually have to sit through the whole thing or read through the comments (if they're even enabled) before realizing they’ve wasted their time.

YouTube says it removed the count display to supposedly 'protect smaller channels from dislike attacks' but, seriously, who are they kidding? YouTube itself has personally killed more channels with the use of its algorithm and shadowbanning tools than any dislike ratio ever could.

And the only people that seem to be happy about the removal are apparently the people who are incapable of handling ANY sort of debate or conflicting viewpoints. But the question is – if you can't handle the pressure of a thumbs-down icon, why would you even post something for the public to see in the first place? Just to stroke your ego? That would at least explain why these people equate a dislike button to "bullying and harassment."



Despite a few people applauding the move, the overwhelming response to the decision has been extremely negative. Users and creators are pleading with the platform to reverse the decision. But, in light of recent controversies, it’s become quite clear that YouTube doesn’t actually care all that much about its users or creators. The biggest benefactors of this move turn out to be the likes of YouTube itself, which still holds the record for the most disliked video on the website, with its 2018 YouTube Rewind amassing a staggering 19 million dislikes.

Using the cheap excuse of 'protecting the little guy' Youtube has effectively shielded itself and those it rubs shoulders with from one of the last remaining representations of public disapproval.

Because, be it Biden's latest speech or some woke company's latest PSA ad promoting progressive ideology, those videos have proven to be some of the most downvoted on the platform. Removing the dislike count in this context is literally hiding mass dissent.

And unsurprisingly the public's response to Google's decision seems to be overwhelmingly negative, with many citing it as yet another reason they can't wait to get off the platform.



While YouTube still essentially holds a monopoly on video sharing, there are still some rising platforms (DTube, Rumble, Odysee, etc) that could potentially challenge the tech giant in the near future. But, unfortunately, they still have a long way to go, so until then users will just have to read the comments (those that haven't been deleted) to gauge the public’s opinion on a YouTube video.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
×