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Instagram users don’t “like” this change.
The Meta-owned social media platform appears to be testing a new feature that allows users to “dislike” comments, but the tool has been slammed as promoting bullying and negativity.
On various social media apps, Instagrammers shared screenshots of their comments sections that feature the newly added down arrow.
“You can now downvote/dislike comments on Instagram, whaaatwhy?” one X user wrote alongside a screen grab of her comments section.
“Another feature they are giving that nobody asked for,” snarked one Threads user, seemingly alluding to recent changes made to the app, such as vertical grid posts and seeing which Reels your friends have liked.
“People are already unhinged. We definitely don’t need that feature,” someone else agreed.
“I dislike that feature.. it gonna make people sad or insecure about their post & stuff. Don’t like people being mean. They shouldn’t have that option at all,” decried another user.
“It will take Cyber Bullying to another level,” lamented one person on Instagram.
“It’s like they want to continue to see us argue and hate each other,” an X user wrote, per the Daily Mail.
“Everyone’s already a hater. Why give into more features to enable it?” another person commented.
“Oh lawd. So in addition to getting ppl addicted to likes, let’s further deteriorate their mental health by adding dislikes,” someone else said.
But not everyone was displeased.
“I can finally be a full-time hater,” rejoiced one person on Instagram.
“BULLYING IS BACK LETS GOOOOO,” celebrated another.
“I’m trolling everybody!” someone else wrote.
“Why just comments and not posts?” one Threads user wrote. “I loved the dislike buttons on YouTube. One of the worst decisions they made was getting rid of it. Now a video can get millions of ‘hate’ views and most people have no idea.”
A Meta spokesperson told The Post that the company is “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,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“Later, we may also test moving these comments lower down in the comments section to help create a better experience.”
Popscope, an account on Instagram, claimed that the purpose of the new feature is “to provide users, particularly content creators, with a tool to manage and mitigate toxic or harsh comments on their posts.”
“By disliking a comment, creators can potentially reduce its visibility, ensuring a more positive interaction environment for their audience,” Popscope claimed.
Unlike the heart button, which is displayed alongside the number of comment likes, the number of comment dislikes is private.
The rollout comes after CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced backlash for discontinuing the fact-check feature across Meta platforms.
“We’re going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms,” Zuckerberg announced last month in a video.
Namely, the apps will be eliminating “restrictions on topics like immigration and gender that are just out of touch with mainstream discourse.”
“What started as a movement to be more inclusive has increasingly been used to shut down opinions and shut out people with different ideas,” he said, claiming that it has “gone too far.”
