Facebook drops 'likes' button from public pages

Facebook Inc has dropped the "likes" button from its redesigned public pages used by artists, public figures and brands, the social media company said on Wednesday.

Facebook Pages will only show followers and have a dedicated News Feed where users can join conversations, interact with peers and engage with fans, the company said in a blog post.

"We are removing Likes and focusing on Followers to simplify the way people connect with their favorite Pages," Facebook said about the redesign.