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Celebrities and influencers are furious at Instagram's experiment with hiding likes, and some are threatening to stop posting on the app (FB)

Instagram will start testing a feature that hides "like" counts on posts for some US users starting this week.

nicki minaj
  • Celebrities and influencers have expressed outrage with the experimental feature, arguing that it weakens their leverage over brand deals and promotions.
  • But a few celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, have praised the decision.
  • The feature has already been piloted in seven countries including Australia, Ireland, and Canada.
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Instagram is testing a new feature in the US this week that could be its most controversial yet: hiding the number of "likes" on posts.

The new feature, announced by Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri on Friday, is being met with strong backlash, especially from many influencers and celebrities.

The feature has already been piloted in seven countries including Australia, Ireland, and Canada in recent months. When it was rolled out there, influencers complained that hiding likes would give them less leverage over brand deals and sponsored content.

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Now, American celebrities are calling out the app for experimenting with removing likes, with some threatening to stop posting to Instagram entirely. Others took to Twitter to joke about the proposed changes.

But some, including Kim Kardashian, have heralded Instagram's decision as a boon to users' mental health.

Here's what influencers and celebrities are saying about the new feature that hides likes on Instagram.

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Getty/Gilbert Carrasquillo

Jeff Kravitz/AMA2014/FilmMagic via Getty Images

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Minaj apparently referred to the well-documented phenomenon of YouTube view counts fluctuating after videos are posted, which can happen when YouTube determines views come from bots or other fraudulent sources.

Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

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Monica Almeida/Reuters

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Slaven Vlasic/Getty

"As far as mental health I think taking the likes away and taking that aspect away from [Instagram] would be really beneficial for people," Kardashian West said during The New York Times DealBook conference last week.

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Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Ross made the statement during a panel discussion with Mosseri facilitated by WIRED last week .

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Karen Civil, a social media strategist, made the case that influencers shouldn't pay too much attention to how many likes their posts get.

See Also:

SEE ALSO: Influencers are fighting for attention as Instagram tests removing likes from its platform: 'Theres no audience applause at the end of a performance'

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