Mark Zuckerberg Confirms Facebook is Working on a Form of “Dislike” Button

In recent interviews, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has acknowledged that the “like” button lacks a degree of sensitivity, which can be seen with more sensitive or sad content.

In a “town hall” Q&A today, Zuckerberg showed some interest in a “dislike” button and said that the company is actively working to find a solution. In its Menlo Park office, Zuckerberg told the crowd:

“People have asked about the dislike button for many years. We’ve finally heard you, and we’re working on this.”

Zuckerberg also commented on fears that a form of “dislike” button would be used to “downvote” posts, similar to what is seen on Reddit. Today, he acknowledged growing interest in a simple integration that better fits sad posts, which he says will help users express empathy. Zuckerberg also said that “it’s surprisingly complicated to make an interaction that will be simple.”

The Facebook CEO didn’t confirm the exact name of the feature, nor the expected ship date. However, based on the repeated concerns about “downvote” culture, we expect that the feature will have a creative name, much like how the “like” button was previously known as the “awesome” button.

[via Business Insider]