If you are an avid Instagram user, this might be bad news for you: Instagram is going to remove the “likes” counter from your feed/
The company is currently testing this out in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, and Japan.
During the test, Instagram will no longer publish ‘likes’ publically and it will only be available to the user.
Why Is This Happening?
The reason for the like count being removed, according to Instagram, is to take the pressure off users and create a positive environment.
“We want Instagram to be a place where people feel comfortable expressing themselves. 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,” Facebook Australia and New Zealand director of policy Mia Garlick said in a statement in July.
Will Instagram Make This Permanent?
Instagram is still testing this removal and it’s not clear if this will be a permanent thing. If Instagram does make this removal permanent, it could definitely affect Instagram influencers.
But this could be a good thing and actually take the pressure of average users to be popular or famous on the platform.
