This is what Mark Zuckerberg said about the 'dislike button' in 2014

Ever since Facebook introduced the ability to 'like' things in 2009, users have been asking for a 'dislike' button.

Speaking at an internal Facebook town hall, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the company is finally looking at developing a thumbs-down function.

It would be a way for people to express regret or sympathy, he said.

What [users] really want is the ability to express empathy. Not every moment is a good moment.

• Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and founder of Facebook

The tech billionaire first mentioned that Facebook could introduce a 'dislike' feature in 2014 - at the time, though, he said the company was being cautious because it didn't want to spread negativity.

Zuckerberg was quoted as saying, "We don’t think that’s good for the world."

Of course, it's still possible the dislike button won't just be used to express sympathy. Whatever else happens, we're in for a passive-aggressive field day.

More: Here's what the world would be like if we spoke like we write Facebook statuses

More from The Independent: Facebook is to get a 'dislike' button, Mark Zuckerberg says