No more 'likes' on Instagram?

Muscat: In a move that has generated uproar on social media, photo and video sharing platform Instagram has announced that it is rolling out a test that hides the amount of ‘likes’ people see on profiles.

The company hopes that this move will help reduce stress, combat low-self esteem and improve anxiety levels in its users. Instagram said that they will roll out this test in Canada only, initially.

Instagram users will be able to see the number of ‘likes’ on their own images but will be unable to see the ‘likes’ on images and videos uploaded by others. They will still be able to ‘like’ the images uploaded by others.

The announcement of this test was made at Facebook’s annual developers conference, F8.

The head of Instagram Adam Mosseri said the test was about “...creating a less pressurised environment where people feel comfortable expressing themselves”. The move also helps to shift focus to content rather than engagement.

He added that Facebook could still consider removing likes and views entirely, in the future.