Instagram has kept pretty busy this year. Besides pushing out there as many filters and Stories tools as possible, they’ve tried showing users their wellbeing is what matters most.
The platform worked on a tool to help users shadowban bullies. It announced a new tool to restrict harmful comments, hoping to give users more control over their accounts. It went even further by removing ads to miraculous products and making sure posts about cosmetic procedures would show only for 18+ users.
One of their more controversial moves was to hide likes. It started small, just with Canada; then, it extended its new “likes” regulations to other countries. Now, the feature is rolling out in US.
The idea is to makes likes private, not exactly ditch them. Users who receive them will still be able to find out how many they are and who are they from; followers and others, won’t.
Adam Mosseri, Instagram CEO, explained that the idea is to take the pressure off users and make them enjoy the content on the platform without keeping score.
If you ask me, a bolder proposition is to ditch likes altogether. That would definitely hit the mark although it would cause quite the stir among advertisers and brands.
The move will roll out pretty soon, so keep an eye for the change:
Follow TechTheLead on Google News to get the news first.
