Facebook Has Expanded Its 'Downvote' Button To Outside The US

Facebook's 'downvote' feature is being expanded to users in New Zealand and Australia, following a trial in the US.

The button, which the company insists is not a 'dislike' button, allows people to up or downvote comments, a bit like Reddit.

Facebook has said the downvote option will help to flag up any inappropriate comments, which have 'bad intentions' or are 'disrespectful' the Daily Mail reports.

Five percent of US-based Android users were given the downvote option back in February, and now it's set to be expanded to users in Australia and New Zealand.

It's not yet known when or if the feature will be rolled out worldwide.

A spokesperson from Facebook told the Mail: "We are not testing a dislike button. We are exploring a feature for people to give us feedback about comments on public page posts."

via GIPHY

They added that the button was being used to see if it helped enable 'better public discussions'.

Speaking to the BBC, a spokesperson said: "Our hope is that this feature will make it easier for us to create such spaces, by ranking the comments that readers believe deserve to rank highest, rather than the comments that get the strongest emotional reaction."

Users who have been selected for the feature will see a pop-up box explaining it, which reads: "Support better comments. Press the up arrow if you think that a comment is helpful or insightful. Your input is anonymous."

Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder, tweeted to say he was 'flattered' after one Twitter user referred to the new feature as a 'Reddit-style up/down vote'.

Facebook users can currently express how they feel about a comment using one of the emoji buttons - like, love, haha, wow, angry or sad - but there have been calls for a 'dislike' button for years.

Creator Mark Zuckerberg has previously addressed the idea of a 'dislike' button, saying: "We didn't want to just build a dislike button because we don't want to turn Facebook into a forum where people are voting up or down on people's posts.

WATCH: MARK ZUCKERBERG - "I'M REALLY SORRY THAT THIS HAPPENED"

"That doesn't seem like the kind of community we want to create. What they really want is the ability to express empathy. Not every moment is a good moment."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Social Media, Facebook

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19