Instagram to Hide the Likes Count of some US Users

The Facebook-owned Instagram app plans to eliminate the number of likes seen under posts for some users in the United States. The goal of the move is to reduce competition between people in the photo and video sharing service, Bloomberg writes.

Back in April, Instagram took such steps in part of the markets it operates in, starting in Canada and then in Japan and Brazil. The United States is one of the largest Instagram markets with over 106 million users, according to EMarketer.

“We have to see how it affects how people feel about the platform, how it affects how they use the platform, how it affects the creator ecosystem.”, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said. “The idea is to try to depressurize Instagram, make it less of a competition, and give people more space to focus on connect ing with the people they love and things that inspire them.” The intention is to “reduce anxiety” and “reduce social comparison”.“We will make decisions that hurt the business if they help people’s well-being and health”

Users will be able to receive information on the number of likes they post, if they wish, but those metrics will not be visible to others on Instagram, the company said. Mosseri revealed that the test will start next week and will cover only part of the US consumer base.

The number of followers and likes on Instagram have made the app one of the main places online where people measure their popularity, especially teens and young people.

For years, the company has been trying to combat this competition within the platform and promote role models through its own profile posts. In doing so, it hopes to help the app become a place for creativity and art instead of self-promotion.

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