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Instagram trials program that will hide likes and views on posts, and their reasons seem surprisingly earnest.
In possibly the biggest move taken by a social tech company in years, Instagram has decided to trial a program that will hide likes and views from users. The feature was rolled out today in Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Japan and New Zealand.
Whilst the huge onus placed on Insta and other social platforms recently to address concerns regarding mental health suggested that some kind of change was imminent, the hard-line decision to phase out likes has put many a jaw on the floor. The most notable feathers to be ruffled are those of influencers.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri explained the decision earlier this year when the feature was first tested in Canada.
βWe want people to worry a little bit less about how many likes theyβre getting on Instagram and spend a bit more time connecting with the people that they care about,β he said. Mia Garlick, Facebookβs head of policy in Australia and New Zealand, went on state, βwe want Instagram to be a place where people feel comfortable expressing themselves.β
To be clear, people affected by this feature are still able to view how many likes their own posts receive. Everyone else, however, will just be a shown a vague caption with an insta handle thatβs liked the post, βand othersβ.
The no-like trial has already been going on in Canada for a while now, however despite it now expanding to six other countries Instagram have refused to confirm whether the change is permanent and will continue to be rolled out globally.
The reaction to the news has been, at a word, complex. Many are applauding the social network for what appears to be a complete lack of ego in their decision. Much of Instagramβs revenue comes from advertising, and corporations have a large presence on the platform. Itβs often used by companies to test public reactions to market trends.
However, without access to rival company data, corporations will no longer be able to compare figures and gauge the success of marketing tactics. This could lead to many companies with large followings, who pay through the nose for sponsored content, moving elsewhere.
The fact that Instagram is willing to cop this potentially huge revenue loss is pretty damn rad. For what seems like the first time in a long time, a public company seems to be taking the private concerns of its users seriously.
Instagram are responding to studies that claim social media can negatively affect young people not in the wishy-washy manner of a dominant company that seeks to do good by doing well, but with a with the genuineness of a conglomerate that actually puts the needs of its users first.
Thereβs most certainly an argument that through the self-effacing act of falling on their sword, Instagram stands to gain a lot. Mental health is one of the biggest issues plaguing arguably the most prominent age group on the platform (Gen Z), and by attempting to make a difference theyβll inevitably get major woke points (despite the fact that theyβre implicated in the very issue theyβre going some way to address).
But at some point you have to ask yourself, to what extent do we prosecute for intention when the outcome is net good?
