Facebook is testing a downvote option to flag inappropriate or misleading comments
As confirmed by Tech Crunch, Facebook is currently testing a ‘downvote’ system for flagging comments that are misleading, uncivil or inappropriate. Facebook revealed that the downvote button is being offered with a limited number of public pages post comments and can only be seen by 5% of the Android users in the United States who have chosen English as their default language.
The downvote option will not appear in group posts or the Pages of public figures. As of now, Facebook is just testing the system to make it easier for users to provide a signal that a comment is misleading or inappropriate. Facebook also specified that the button is not a dislike button, it is an option to know the feedback for remarks or public pages.
Given below are some of the screenshots of the downvote posted on Twitter by Christina Hudler of Hudler Social.
I now have #FacebookDownvote on sponsored posts in my feed! #smm #socialmediamarketing #socialmedia #digitalmarketing pic.twitter.com/BKZyS25ZEZ
— Christina Hudler (@hudlersocial) February 8, 2018
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
Facebook made it more convenient by adding reason options for downvoting any comment. When a user taps over the downvote button, he will be asked whether the comment is “Offensive,” “Misleading” or “Off Topic.” It is also clear that the downvote will not affect the rankings of the comment, page or post and it is a short-term process as of now.
The feature doesn’t showcase how many downvotes are here for a particular comment as this is for Facebook’s internal use of collecting feedback only.
Instead of voting a post with up or downvoting Facebook launched an option of emojis that makes it easier to know the feedback of a particular post, page or comment. The action was taken in February 2016, and since then it is in hot use. Back in December Facebook also took a step towards fake news by Disputed Flags no longer in use. That was also a step taken in favour of users to serve better.
