Sydney - Facebook started hiding the number of "likes" for
posts in Australia on Friday in a trial that could be rolled out
worldwide.
Users will be blocked from viewing the number of likes, reactions and
video views on other people's posts. However, the account
holders will still be able to see how people respond to their own
posts.
"It really is just taking that number out of the equation, so that
people can focus on the quality of their interactions and the quality
of the content rather than on the number of likes or reactions," Mia
Garlick, policy director of Facebook Australia, told Australian
newswire agency AAP.
Facebook introduced the "like" button first in February 2009, while
other reactions, including "sad" and "angry," were added in 2016.
More than one billion people use Facebook worldwide. The company has
an estimated 16 million users in Australia.
Australia has active "tech-savvy" users of Facebook and Instagram,
Garlick said.
"We think this is a great country where we can get some really good
feedback about whether this is a valuable experience for people on
our services or not," she said.
In July, Facebook launched a trial to hide "likes" on Instagram, the
company's other major social media platform, in Canada, which was
then expanded to Australia, Brazil and several other major markets.