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Mark Zuckerberg mulls over ‘Dislike’ button for Facebook

LONDON — Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has spoken of his desire to provide users with the ability to express a wider range of emotions, hinting at an addition to the existing “Like” button on Facebook posts in his second public Q&A.

Free-speech advocates say comments on Facebook and social media can be hasty and easily misinterpreted. Photo: Reuters

Free-speech advocates say comments on Facebook and social media can be hasty and easily misinterpreted. Photo: Reuters

LONDON — Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has spoken of his desire to provide users with the ability to express a wider range of emotions, hinting at an addition to the existing “Like” button on Facebook posts in his second public Q&A.

Speaking at the company’s headquarters in California, Mr Zuckerberg admitted to concerns that current methods of interaction on the site might sometimes be inadequate.

“A lot of times people share things on Facebook that are sad moments in their lives,” he said. “What’s the right way to make it so people can easily express a broader range of emotions? To empathise?”

A “Dislike” option is the feature most requested by Facebook users, said Mr Zuckerberg, 30, and he did not dismiss the idea altogether, calling it an important area of discussion.

But he also expressed reservations that a button designed to communicate negative sentiment could end up being used in the wrong way and as a means of demeaning other people’s posts.

“We need to figure out the right way to do it so (the button) ends up being a force for good, not a force for bad,” he added.

For Mr Zuckerberg, the “bad” could potentially extend to the company’s business interests; the social networks’ advertisers are unlikely to be quite so taken with the idea of people giving their brand a thumbs down, perhaps explaining its continued absence.

During the hour-long event, Mr Zuckerberg was quizzed on some of the most contentious issues surrounding the social platform. Among these was the idea that Facebook has become synonymous with time wasting and a lack of productivity.

However, Mr Zuckerberg was quick to dismiss this characterisation. “For me, the relationships that I have, the friends, the family, that’s the part of my life that matters,” he said, before suggesting that Facebook helps its users stay connected and maintain more relationships with people than they would without it. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

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