Facebook tests out hiding 'likes' from Australian users

28 Sep 2019

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Facebook tests out hiding ‘likes’ from Australian users

Facebook tests out hiding ‘likes’ from Australian usersDo you count the number of 'likes' you get on your Facebook posts? You may not be able to do that for much longer.

Facebook is now testing removing the 'likes/reactions' button from Facebook users in Australia.

They have previously also tried out similar tests on Instagram in Australia and Canada. Many Instagram users reported that they preferred not to see a like count, so the feature was implemented in more countries.

The Facebook test in Australia will hide the number of likes on a post. It will only display if a post was liked by a friend and others.

It aims to reduce social pressure among users.

According to Facebook's Head of Communications, this will help people to focus on the quality of information rather than the number of likes on it.
 	In addition to this, it will allow people to feel more comfortable while sharing on social media and reduce the sense of competition.
 	People will still be able to tap to see the full list of people who liked and reacted to a post. But they can no longer see the like count on the News Feed.
 	This is a limited test to check its impact on users' well-being. The test results will determine whether they will carry on with or give up on this idea.

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