Instagram is testing a private downvote button for comments

Did you notice what looks like a dislike button next to comments on your Instagram account? You're not the only one, but you are one of a select few.

Instagram is testing a new feature that would allow users to downrank comments that they don't like, be it because they're negative, harmful, or maybe just because they disagree with them, Social Media Today spotted. Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a post on Threads that the downrank button "gives people a private way to signal that they don’t feel good about that particular comment."

But it isn't like downvoting a comment on YouTube or Reddit because these won't be public, and there won't be a total downvote tally shown.

"I want to be clear: this is a test, there is no dislike count, nor will anyone know if you tap the button. Eventually, we may integrate this signal into comments ranking to move disliked comments lower down. Our hope is that this might help make comments more friendly on Instagram," Mosseri wrote.

This isn't the first time Meta has tested out downvotes, and, as is true with many Meta tests, this doesn't necessarily mean the feature will come to Instagram widely any time soon — or ever. In true Meta fashion, this might just be another test to see how they're going to keep the platform safe, fun, and addicting without stepping on any political toes.