Facebook has been trying to clean up its platform for years now thanks to troll accounts and semi-censored content being posted by users. The downvote button is being used to flag 'bad comments' which might come out as having “bad intentions or is disrespectful.” As per the report, in a way, Facebook is trying very hard to not make this new button come out as a dislike button.

For now, Facebook seems to have rolled out the Downvote feature only for public pages created in Australia and New Zealand. Facebook's 'Downvote' button is restricted to comments on public posts and doesn't apply to the posts themselves. There are no additions to the list of reactions under each post.

© Ben Slater / Twitter

This feature is very similar to what's found on Reddit, where users react or engage with comments via an upvote/downvote button. The company is said to be putting its trust in the user base to help Facebook flag offensive public posts and comments. 

This new addition is being seen as Facebook's attempt to fight fake news. In addition to introducing features such as this one, Facebook is turning to machine learning to also scan articles for falsehood. The feature hasn't be rolled out in India yet but we are expecting Facebook to have a global roll out in the coming few months. 

© Ashslay / Twitter

Facebook already ranks comments by relevancy based on likes and replies. But the Downvote button could ensure that if objectionable comments rise up and stall discussion, Facebook will know.

Back in 2015, CEO Mark Zuckerberg responded to a Q&A about 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. That doesn't seem like the kind of community we want to create.”

Source: IANS