Facebook has previously experimented with a “downvote” button in some regions, such as Australia and New Zealand. This button allows users to express their dislike or disagreement with a post or comment without publicly commenting.
However, the downvote button does not function in the same way as the dislike button on other social media platforms, such as YouTube. Instead, Facebook has stated that the downvote button is meant to be a way for users to give feedback on the quality of comments and posts, which could help the platform identify and remove low-quality content.
It’s unclear whether the downvote button will be rolled out globally or become a permanent feature of the platform.
As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, Facebook was reportedly testing a “downvote” button in some regions, but it was not available globally or on all posts. The downvote button is different from a “dislike” button, which is a feature that some users have requested on Facebook for years.
Instead, the downvote button allows users to provide feedback on the quality of comments on public posts. When a user clicks the downvote button, the comment will be hidden, and the user will be prompted to provide feedback about whether the comment is “offensive,” “misleading,” or “off-topic.” The purpose of this feature is to help Facebook identify and remove low-quality content from its platform.
However, it’s important to note that the downvote button is not a way for users to express their disagreement with a post or comment, and Facebook has stated that it has no plans to introduce a dislike button at this time.
