Facebook and Instagram will now let all users hide likes on posts
Facebook and Instagram will now let all users hide likes on posts
Facebook and Instagram are now allowing all users to hide public "likes" on their posts, upending a fundamental dynamic of the social media platforms, where like counts are viewed as a measure of a person's influence.
Since 2019, the social media behemoth has been testing the ability for users to hide their like counts, a feature synonymous with Facebook, in an effort to make Facebook and Instagram more tolerable.
As of Wednesday, each user can choose whether or not others can see the number of likes on his or her own post, as well as the number of likes on other users' posts, Facebook (FB) announced in a blog post Wednesday.
Social Media Criticisms
Facebook has been battling mounting criticism that social media platforms can be detrimental to users' and society's well-being. However, even with Wednesday's announcement, hiding likes on Facebook and Instagram will be optional rather than default, leaving the question of how many users will actually take this step unanswered.
"We heard from users and experts that not seeing like counts was beneficial for some and annoying for others, especially because people use like counts to gauge what's trending or popular, so we're giving you the option," Facebook said.
The Solution
If users opt out of publicly sharing their post's like counts, viewers will see a list of who liked the post but not the total number of likes. Even if the photo is not publicly displayed, the person who posted it will still be able to see the number of likes.
The company stated that the feature will allow users to "focus on the photos and videos they share, rather than the number of likes they receive."
Additionally, Facebook and Instagram users can opt out of seeing how many people liked other people's posts as they scroll through their feeds — a feature that can be enabled by visiting the "new posts" section of settings.
Conclusion
According to some users who previously had the option to test hiding likes on Instagram, the option could help improve the platform's overall wellbeing. For social media influencers who have built businesses on the app, however, demonstrating their own like counts — and comparing them to those of other users' posts — can be critical for securing lucrative brand partnerships.
Facebook stated in a blog post that it is funding "external research into people's Instagram experiences and how we can improve our policies and products to better support our community," and that it is accepting proposals for such studies from academics and non-profit organizations.
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