Facebook users may be able to use a ‘downvote’ button for flagging bad comments
There are a variety of ways to react to a post on Facebook, and the site may soon be adding another icon − the “downvote” button.
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The company announced the news earlier this week, revealing that it is experimenting with the feature with a group of users to help gauge whether comments on public posts are inappropriate.
I now have #FacebookDownvote on sponsored posts in my feed! #smm #socialmediamarketing #socialmedia #digitalmarketing pic.twitter.com/BKZyS25ZEZ
— Christina Hudler (@hudlersocial) February 8, 2018
“We are exploring a feature for people to give us feedback about comments on public page posts. This is running for a small set of people in the U.S. only," a Facebook spokesperson told Business Insider.
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The platform clarified that the function will not affect how a comment is displayed. It is also not a dislike button that will be added to the usual range of reactions. Instead, downvote will be located right next to the “reply” tab.
Once the downvote button is selected, users can then pick from a list of options to further explain their choice. You can mark it as “offensive” or “misleading.”
Here's what I see on my end if I click downvote, but since I don't know anyone else with the feature I don't know what it might look on their end. #FacebookDownvote pic.twitter.com/YIxI5xgXeU
— Christina Hudler (@hudlersocial) February 8, 2018
The social media site has previously added special icons for holidays. Last May, it temporarily introduced a flower emoji, which meant grateful or thankful, in honor of Mother's Day. And in June, a rainbow symbol surfaced to acknowledge Pride Month.
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About the Author
Najja Parker is a multimedia journalist covering Black culture for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She is an engaging on-air talent, who has served as a host for the newsroom’s special projects and events, such as the movie premiere of “The South Got Something To Say,” a documentary chronicling the rise of Atlanta hip-hop.
