Facebook could soon start hiding the Like counter in the News Feed to protect users from envy and prevent them from self-censorship.
Instagram is already testing it in seven countries, including Canada and Brazil, showing people a message with a few names of mutual friends who have liked a post instead of the total number. The idea is to discourage users from negatively commenting on others who might feel disadvantaged if posts don't get as many likes. It could also prevent users from deleting posts they feel aren't getting enough likes.
Although Facebook confirmed to TechCrunch that it is considering removing Like counts, the practice has yet to be implemented. The company declined to share the results of its tests of hiding likes on Instagram. If it decides to move forward with a test, it would likely do so gradually and stop it if it significantly hurts usage or ad.
The test could lead to positive results, as is believed to have happened with Instagram. It is worth noting that the hiding of likes on Instagram was carried out in Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Ireland and Japan.
Many believe that this policy may have positive or negligible effects on sharing while helping the mental health of users.
Facebook has gradually become the social network that users choose for sharing events like weddings or new jobs, while Instagram and Snapchat are taking over everyday sharing.
Removing like counts could put less pressure on users and encourage them to share more freely and frequently. It could also mask the potential decline in Facebook's popularity as users move to other apps.
