Meta is testing a dislike button for comments on Instagram, aiming to introduce more signals that could help downrank negative or harmful comments.
Some Instagram users have reported seeing a new downvote arrow next to comment functions, allowing them to signal disapproval of a remark. The feature is currently in testing and does not display a public count of dislikes.
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri explained the initiative, stating, “We’re [currently] testing a new button next to comments on Instagram. This gives people a private way to signal that they don’t feel good about that particular comment. There is no dislike count, nor will anyone know if you tap the button, [but] eventually, we may integrate this signal into comments ranking to move disliked comments lower down.”
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The feature is designed to address harmful interactions rather than indicate disagreement with a comment or flag misinformation. Mosseri suggested that this could help foster a 'more friendly' environment on the platform.
Meta has previously experimented with similar downvote functionalities. In 2018, Facebook tested a downvote feature on comments, aiming to highlight overly negative responses. A similar test was conducted in 2020 for group comments, but neither implementation remained in the platform long term.
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Mosseri noted that feedback from creators has driven this latest test, “We’ve heard a lot of feedback, particularly from creators, that the comments can kind of get nasty and mean at times, and the idea, which is just a test to be clear, is to allow people to downvote comments. It’s private, so no one will know, and there’s no count on it that anybody can see, but we can use that signal to lower comments that might be aggressive. It might work, it might not, but we want to do what we can to improve comments for creators particularly.”
While the downvote option is intended to filter out harmful comments, there is a risk that it could be misused. Similar systems, such as X’s Community Notes, have been criticised for being susceptible to coordinated manipulation, where users upvote or downvote content based on ideological biases.
Meta is reportedly proceeding cautiously with the test, limiting its availability to select users. Given the potential for misuse, it remains uncertain whether the feature will be rolled out more broadly.
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Meta tests Instagram downvote button for comments
The feature is designed to address harmful interactions rather than indicate disagreement with a comment or flag misinformation.
Meta is testing a dislike button for comments on Instagram, aiming to introduce more signals that could help downrank negative or harmful comments.
Some Instagram users have reported seeing a new downvote arrow next to comment functions, allowing them to signal disapproval of a remark. The feature is currently in testing and does not display a public count of dislikes.
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri explained the initiative, stating, “We’re [currently] testing a new button next to comments on Instagram. This gives people a private way to signal that they don’t feel good about that particular comment. There is no dislike count, nor will anyone know if you tap the button, [but] eventually, we may integrate this signal into comments ranking to move disliked comments lower down.”
The feature is designed to address harmful interactions rather than indicate disagreement with a comment or flag misinformation. Mosseri suggested that this could help foster a 'more friendly' environment on the platform.
Meta has previously experimented with similar downvote functionalities. In 2018, Facebook tested a downvote feature on comments, aiming to highlight overly negative responses. A similar test was conducted in 2020 for group comments, but neither implementation remained in the platform long term.
Mosseri noted that feedback from creators has driven this latest test, “We’ve heard a lot of feedback, particularly from creators, that the comments can kind of get nasty and mean at times, and the idea, which is just a test to be clear, is to allow people to downvote comments. It’s private, so no one will know, and there’s no count on it that anybody can see, but we can use that signal to lower comments that might be aggressive. It might work, it might not, but we want to do what we can to improve comments for creators particularly.”
While the downvote option is intended to filter out harmful comments, there is a risk that it could be misused. Similar systems, such as X’s Community Notes, have been criticised for being susceptible to coordinated manipulation, where users upvote or downvote content based on ideological biases.
Meta is reportedly proceeding cautiously with the test, limiting its availability to select users. Given the potential for misuse, it remains uncertain whether the feature will be rolled out more broadly.