Here’s why Instagram might HIDE your likes soon

Anyone who's posted a photo on Instagram will know how exciting it can be to watch the likes and comments roll in, but this could become a thing of the past if the latest recommendations to social platforms, including Instagram, are taken on board.

The findings from a report by the British Information Commissioner's Office, suggested that features and techniques that encourage people to engage with the social platform should be switched off.

Whilst Instagram and other social platforms can be used to draw attention to celebrities and new products as well as Influencers, it is also believed that it can affect users' mental health and self-esteem.

The report goes on to explain that types of engagement, such as likes, encourage people to stay on the sites longer, which could 'damage their well-being'. So, it's been recommended that those features should be removed entirely from websites where they can't be sure of user's age.

In response to these recommendations, Instagram appears to be trialling hiding the number of likes for some users. According to Twitter user Jane Manchun Wong, she has discovered the new trial which lists a few users who have liked a post, followed by 'others', rather than an exact number of likes.

After clicking on the photo the list of people who like it is then revealed, along with a pop up from Instagram explaining, 'We want your followers to focus on what you share, not how many likes your posts get. During this test, only the person who shared a post will see the total number of likes it gets.'

Now take a look at celebs to follow on Snapchat:

This change only appears to be affecting a few users at the moment, and there is no confirmation to if or when it will be rolled out for everyone.

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