Thumbs down: Facebook is working on a 'dislike' button, says Mark Zuckerberg AP

Facebook is planning to launch a "dislike" button for its users to rate posts, its creators have said. The social networking site is currently developing the function as an alternative to the 'like' button, founder Mark Zuckerberg said today.

 But developers hope the "dislike" button will be used as a way for people to show their "empathy" to a sad or distressing post, rather than as a method for downgrading links, according to reports in the Business Insider.

 In a Q&A session in Menlo Park, California, Zuckerberg said Facebook users had been calling for the "dislike" button to be created since the "like" button was introduced in 2009.

He said: "I think people have asked about the dislike button for many years. Today is a special day because today is the day I can say we’re working on it and shipping it."

He continued: "What [people] really want is the ability to express empathy. Not every moment is a good moment."
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