Facebook is considering a major change. Photo / 123RF
Facebook has confirmed it is "considering" hiding likes from other users, mirroring a similar move on the Facebook-owned Instagram earlier this year.
A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the change after a tech blogger discovered hidden like counts were being prototyped in its Android app.
Jane Manchun Wong, who also alerted the world to the earlier changes to Instagram, shared her findings on Twitter.
Social media users were divided on the proposed changes.
Facebook user Phil Leigh said the shift was a "bad thing".
"'Likes give the poster a way to measure whether her content is useful to others, especially as it is tracked over time," he wrote.
Monica Roddey wrote on Twitter: "I love it, personally. Moving away from the tyranny of 'keeping score'".
Recent changes to Instagram were designed to rein in competitive tendencies and make the experience a little "less pressurised."
Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, said the change was designed to minimise the stress of posting online, where users can fixate on how many "likes" their videos draw.
"We want people to worry a little bit less about how many likes they're getting on Instagram and spend a bit more time connecting with the people that they care about," he said earlier this year.
The decision threw the world of Instagram influencers into a panic, with many worrying that the change made their business model unsustainable.
Aussie influencer Mikaela Testa was widely mocked for posting a tearful video on the subject, claiming that she was "suffering".
"If you think this is okay you can f**k off, it's actually a sad day for those who have Instagram as a job," she said,
"I've put my blood sweat and tears into this for it to be ripped away, it's not just me suffering too, it's every brand and business I know. Instagram isn't even doing this for mental health they're just doing it so they can control all engagement so more businesses run their adverts through Instagram essentially giving them more $, they don't care about your feelings."
The council has also been served with judicial review proceedings.