SYDNEY: Facebook on Friday said it began hiding the number of “likes” for posts in Australia, a trial designed to ease social pressure that could be rolled out worldwide.
Account holders across the country will also be blocked from viewing the number of reactions and video views on other people’s posts from Friday, but will still be able to see how people respond to their own.
“We don’t want Facebook to feel like a competition,” the company said in a statement.
“This is a test to see how people engage with this new format.”
“We hope to learn from this over time in order to see if we will roll this out more broadly.”
More than one billion people use Facebook worldwide, but the social media giant has come under pressure to combat the platform’s impact on mental health.
In Australia, one in five children report experiencing cyberbullying, according to the country’s eSafety commissioner.
The problem received national attention last year when a 14-year-old girl — who starred in adverts of an iconic Australian hat brand — killed herself after being bullied online.
Facebook’s decision comes after it launched a trial in July to hide “likes” on the company’s other major social media platform, Instagram.
What began as a test on Instagram in Canada was expanded to Australia, Brazil and several other major markets.
The Facebook trial was described as “a limited test in order for us to get some early learnings.”
“While this has been testing on Instagram, Facebook and (Instagram) are different surfaces and we will likely see different data come from this test.”
The social media giant did not confirm how long the trial would run for.
“We want to understand from people whether removing the total counts improves their experience, while also not limiting any positive interactions,” said Mia Garlick, of Facebook Australia.
Facebook hides ‘likes’ in Australia trial to ease anxiety
Facebook hides ‘likes’ in Australia trial to ease anxiety
- Account holders across the country will also be blocked from viewing the number of reactions and video views on other people’s posts
Media watchdogs condemn Israeli airstrike that killed 3 journalists in Gaza, call for investigation
- International Press Institute, Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders among organizations demanding urgent action
DUBAI: Media watchdogs including the International Press Institute, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders have spoken out against Israel’s treatment of media workers following an airstrike that killed 3 journalists in Gaza on Wednesday.
Those killed were Mohammed Salah Qashta, Abdul Raouf Shaat and Anas Ghneim.
The Israeli military said the attack targeted what it had identified as “several suspects” operating a drone and “affiliated with Hamas.”
According to eyewitnesses, the journalists were using a drone to record aid distribution by the Egyptian Relief Committee when the strike hit one of the committee’s vehicles.
The IPI called for an “immediate and credible investigation” and renewed pressure on the international community to take “concrete actions” to hold Israel accountable.
IPI executive director Scott Griffen said the Israeli government has “failed to credibly investigate attacks on journalists” and that the “international community has failed to hold Israel to account for its pattern of targeting and killing journalists.”
He urged strong action, saying that “it is long past time for the international community to take concrete steps to end the cycle of complete impunity for killings of journalists in Gaza.”
The International Federation of Journalists and the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate also condemned the killings and attacks on journalists, calling for an immediate investigation.
The IFJ appealed to all “combatants in this conflict to do their utmost to safeguard journalists and media professionals,” said IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger.
“Media workers in areas of armed conflict must be treated and protected as civilians and allowed to perform their work without interference,” he added.
The PJS said that the direct shelling of the journalists’ vehicle constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity under international humanitarian law, in violation of the Geneva Conventions and UN resolutions that guarantee the protection of journalists during armed conflicts.
The syndicate called on the International Criminal Court to open “urgent and serious investigations” and to “issue arrest warrants against those responsible for the killing of journalists.”
It also urged the UN and other international organizations to take action “rather than limiting their response to statements of condemnation.”
The CPJ condemned the strike, which took place amid a ceasefire, said regional director Sara Qudah.
“Israel, which possesses advanced technology capable of identifying its targets, has an obligation under international law to protect journalists,” she said.
On Thursday, CPJ and RSF called on the 29 member states of the Media Freedom Coalition, in a joint letter, to take concrete steps toward guaranteeing media access to the Gaza Strip.
The move comes ahead of the Israeli Supreme Court hearing on Jan. 26 that will determine whether the press will have independent access to Gaza.
The signatories asked governments to send official representatives to the Jan. 26 hearing and to prioritize press freedom in their engagement with the new technocratic government, formed under a US-backed plan to govern Gaza.
They also urged states to ensure that the International Stabilization Force applies UN Security Council Resolution 2222, which recognizes journalists as civilians during armed conflict and affirms their right to protection and access.
“The inaction of states around the world encourages censorship and sets a dangerous precedent for other conflicts, to the detriment of civilian populations, humanitarian aid and political decisions based on verified facts,” said RSF director general Thibaut Bruttin.
More than 200 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed since the start of the war in October 2023, according to multiple reports.
