This archive report was first published on 27 September 2019.
Facebook has begun a trial in Australia to hide likes and reactions on posts, a move aimed at reducing social pressure and combating mental health concerns.
The trial, which started on Friday, will see account holders across the country blocked from viewing the number of reactions and video views on other people's posts.
However, users will still be able to see how people respond to their own posts.
"We don't want Facebook to feel like a competition," the company said in a statement.
"This is a test to see how people engage with this new format. We hope to learn from this over time in order to see if we will roll this out more broadly," Facebook added.
The move comes after the social media giant launched a similar trial on its other major platform, Instagram, in July.
More than one billion people use Facebook worldwide, but the platform has come under pressure to combat its impact on mental health.
According to Australia's eSafety commissioner, one in five children report experiencing cyberbullying.
The problem received national attention last year when a 14-year-old girl killed herself after being bullied online.
