Earlier this month, it was reported that Facebook could be looking to test hiding the “Like” count on its website. Considering that Facebook had started doing that with Instagram, we suppose it kind of makes sense that they would be looking to try something similar with its own website, and now it looks like they have.
According to a report from Engadget, Facebook has confirmed that they are testing it out now. If you don’t see it on your end, it is because the tests will be extremely limited and will only be in Australia at the moment. This is because according to Facebook, they told Engadget that this is because they are unclear if they want to go through with this, so the tests will tell them if this change will be well-received.
It is a somewhat controversial move as “Likes” are kind of why many people post on social media to begin with. Having a lot of “Likes” gives people validation, which is why there have been instances of people doing silly things just to increase their “Like” count. However, this is something that Facebook wants to stop, and they want people to just post what they want and feel comfortable expressing themselves without worrying about “Likes”.
Whether or not this will be sticking around remains to be seen, but in the meantime how do you feel about these changes? Is hiding the “Like” count a good move?