Facebook will test hiding ‘Likes’ on its own site

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If you’re a Facebook user in Australia, this means that while your friends and family will still be able to like and add emoji reactions to your posts, they won’t be able to see how many others interacted with it. The same goes if you want to see how many people liked a post from someone you know; that information on counts will now only be visible to the author of a post, who can still see the number of Likes or reactions their posts are getting, it just won’t be public. “We will gather feedback to understand whether this change will improve people’s experiences,” a Facebook spokesperson said.

Facebook likes logo are seen on an android mobile phone

Facebook’s move to hide Like counts follows a similar test it started running on Instagram earlier this year, which was originally limited to Canada but has since expanded to more countries, including Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Japan and New Zealand. That said, the company expects to see contrasting data and learn something new from its test on Facebook, since it considers its core platform and Instagram to have vastly different audiences.

Like Facebook has said before, it wants its apps to be a place where people can comfortably express themselves and focus on the quality of photos and videos they’re sharing, rather than the amount of Likes or reactions they get on a regular basis. With its latest test, the company’s now hoping it help it create a healthier atmosphere all around, on its site and Instagram — although it does present a problem for social media influencers, many of whom have built business models based entirely around Likes and the clout that comes with them.

Images: Getty Images (Facebook)

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