Instagram gets rid of ‘likes’ on social media app – here’s how it could soon affect you
DISLIKE?
Instagram gets rid of
‘likes’ on social media app – here’s how it could soon affect you
·
Jenny
Awford, US Digital Editor 18 Jul 2019, 6:18
INSTAGRAM has removed the “like” count from
posts as part of a trial which starts in Australia today.
The change means Instagram users Down Under
won’t be able to see how many likes other people’s photos get.
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Instagram has removed the 'like' count from posts as part of a
trial which starts in Australia today
But Instagram lovers will still be able to see
a list of likes on their own posts, just not the overall number.
The aim of the trial is to create a “less
pressurised environment where people feel comfortable expressing themselves”.
The drastic change is compulsory for all
account holders in Australia – but it won’t immediately affect people in
Britain or the US.
It follows a similar change introduced in
Canada in May and will be rolled out to New Zealand, Japan, Ireland, Italy and
Brazil.
But executives say it doesn’t mean the end of
influencers because brands and businesses can still see how many views and
likes they get.
An Instagram spokesman said: “For businesses
and creators on Instagram, this test will not affect measurement tools like
Insights or Ads Manager.”
'REMOVE THE PRESSURE'
The Facebook Australia and New Zealand
director of policy, Mia Garlick, said Instagram should be a place where people
feel comfortable expressing themselves, rather than being judged.
“We hope this test will remove the pressure of
how many likes a post will receive, so you can focus on sharing the things you
love,” she said in a statement.
“We are now rolling the test out to Australia
so we can learn more about how this can benefit people’s experiences on
Instagram, and whether this change can help people focus less on likes and more
on telling their story.”
Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, says
the trial is temporary and the social media firm will respond to feedback.
Instagram – the key facts
Here's what you need
to know...
Instagram is a social
network for sharing photos and videos
·
It was created back in
October 2010 as an iPhone-exclusive app
·
A separate version for
Android devices was released 18 months later
·
The app rose to
popularity thanks to its filters system, which lets you quickly edit your
photos with cool effects
·
When it first
launched, users could only post square 1:1 ratio images, but that rule was
changed in 2015
·
In 2012, Facebook
bought Instagram for $1billion in cash and stock
·
In 2018, some analysts
believe the app is worth closer to $100billion
·
In October 2015,
Instagram confirmed that more than 40billion photos had been uploaded to the
app
·
And in 2018, Instagram
revealed that more than a billion people were using the app every month.
·
It comes after Instagram started testing a new
feature that allows you to secretly ban comments from users so their posts
under your photos aren't visible to anyone other than you and them.
This is called 'shadow banning' because the
person who has their comments blocked will be none the wiser.
Instagram will also be warning bullies when
they go to post something that it deems to be offensive.
The app will use artificial intelligent to
spot comments that could cause offence so it can ask the user: "Are you
sure you want to post this?"
It will also provide a message to users it
confronts which states: "We're asking people to rethink comments that seem
similar to other that have been reported.
"If we made a mistake, let us know."
The restricting comments feature allows people
to click on a comment they don't like and either report it or restrict the user
that posted it.
When you restrict someone only you and them
will be able to see what they post on your photos but you can selectively
choose some of their comments to be publicly visible if you want to.
This 'shadow banning' technique will also hide
when you're online to that user or when you've read one of their direct
messages.
These new features are examples of Instagram
stepping up its anti-bullying stance.
The social network said that tests of the
features did encourage some users to rethink posting nasty comments.
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