Instagram will hide the number of ‘likes’ from users in a new trial.
The social media platform says the trial will ‘reduce pressure’ on users to obtain likes.
The initiative begins in Australia and replicates a similar change introduced in Canada in May. It will soon roll out to New Zealand, Japan, Ireland, Italy and Brazil.
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 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.
It’s unclear whether or not the update will be made permanent.
Instagram recently introduced two new features aimed at combating bullying.
We’re currently running a test that hides the total number of likes and video views for some people in the following countries:
✅ Australia
✅ Brazil
✅ Canada
✅ Ireland
✅ Italy
✅ Japan
✅ New Zealand pic.twitter.com/2OdzpIUBka— Instagram (@instagram) July 17, 2019
We want your friends to focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get. You can still see your own likes by tapping on the list of people who've liked it, but your friends will not be able to see how many likes your post has received.
— Instagram (@instagram) July 17, 2019
