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Instagram has come under fire for introducing a ‘dislike’ feature in its comments section underneath images uploaded by users.
The popular social media platform is testing an anonymous ‘dislike’ or ‘downvote’ button under posts, which has ignited concern about the impact it will have.
‘They bringing back bullying?’ one person commented alongside a laughing emoji.
While no official details have been released about the feature’s official rollout, many frequently using the platform have reported seeing the downward arrow next to the like heart in the comment section.
The feature appears to function similar to that of the Reddit downvote button – but many aren’t a fan.
‘Creating yet another way [to] spread negativity [for] more engagement is lame as hell,’ one user wrote.
‘Nah let’s not do that please! Harsh comments already is enough,’ another said.
‘It’s like they want to continue to see us argue and hate each other,’ one wrote.
Instagram has rolled out a controversial test feature that allows users to ‘dislike’ or ‘downvote’ a comment under a post
While no official details have been released surrounding the feature, many users have reported seeing the downward arrow next to the like heart in the comments section
The feature appears to function similar to that of the Reddit downvote button but has received backlash on the social media platform
Another joked: ‘Instagram comment section is the Wild West man.’
‘Everyone’s already a hater. Why give into more features to enable it?’ one commented.
Many comments that criticized the button feared that it would further contribute to mental health problems among young people.
One said: ‘Mental illness will rise not a good idea.’
‘Oh lawd. So in addition to getting ppl addicted to likes, let’s further deteriorate their mental health by adding dislikes,’ another said.
‘They don’t care about kids mental health I see,’ one said.
In a statement, a Meta spokesperson said the feature was designed to help users ‘better control their experience’.
‘We’re working on ways to help people better control their Instagram experience and what they’re seeing on the app.
‘We’re testing a new button next to each comment on a Reel or Feed post for people to privately signal they don’t feel good about that particular comment or find it relevant, with a small group of people to start.
‘Later, we may also test moving these comments lower down in the comments section to help create a better experience.’
Currently, the feature doesn’t seem to have a count of how many ‘dislikes’ a comment received, suggesting it is still in early stages of development.
The potential new feature comes after the platform was scrutinized following Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that the platform would be ‘rid of fact-checkers.’
Mark Zuckerberg announced that he will end ‘fact-checking’ on Meta platforms such as Facebook and Instagram as he makes amends with Trump
Zuckerberg admitted Meta and Facebook censored conservative opinions on an industrial scale but has now vowed to make both sites beacons of free speech.
In the five-minute video message shared to his Facebook profile, the 40-year-old said: ‘We’re going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms.
‘More specifically, we’re going to get rid of fact-checkers and replace them with community notes similar to X, starting in the US.’
Like X, the shift will allow users on the sites to call out posts that are potentially misleading and need more context.
The move came as Zuckerberg appears to be attempting to make his company more ‘Trump friendly.’
Meta said it will relocate its trust and safety teams from liberal California to more conservative Texas, mirroring Elon Musk’s recent relocations.
‘That will help us build trust to do this work in places where there is less concern about the bias of our teams,’ Zuckerberg said.
The shift came as the 40-year-old tycoon has been making efforts to reconcile with Trump since his election in November, including donating one million dollars to his inauguration fund.
Zuckerberg recently donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, in a complete reversal on past relations between the two.
The policy change, and the donation come after Zuckerberg sat down with the President-elect for dinner in Mar-a-Lago in November.
