Earlier this week, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri shared a video on Twitter (yes, the irony) to tell people that Instagram will “continue to support photos,” as several users have complained of how the platform is introducing random videos to its channels. However, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has basically confirmed that the Instagram feed is about to get worse.
Instagram feed gets worse
For many Instagram users, the experience of using the social network focused mainly on photos of friends and family has significantly worsened in recent months. That’s because Instagram now uses algorithms to show you feed content from accounts you don’t follow but think you might be interested in.
And, if you thought Instagram might rethink its strategy for the better after these complaints, you’d probably be wrong. During a call with investors on Wednesday, Zuckerberg said the company plans to “more than double” the amount of Instagram content recommended by AI. In other words, you’ll end up seeing even more posts from people and accounts you don’t know.
According to Meta’s CEO, about 15% of the content an Instagram user is shown in their feed is recommendations. By the end of next year, that number should rise to more than 30%. Of course, this goes against what Instagram users have been asking for, but the company doesn’t seem to care.
Instagram should stop trying to be TikTok
Instagram’s situation is so complicated right now that even celebrities Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian called for Instagram to “stop trying to be TikTok.” Adam Mosseri responded to the complaints with a video that basically confirms that the company will continue to spend resources copying TikTok’s features.
Of course, this move comes as TikTok has grown considerably while Facebook and Instagram have not. Meta’s fiscal 2022 second quarter results were slightly below expectations with revenue of $28.82 billion instead of $28.94 billion. The company currently has 1.97 billion daily active users, which is still a lot.
During the call, Meta executives also mentioned that the company has been working on new ways to serve online ads with less user data, in response to Apple’s app tracking transparency. Earlier this year, Zuckerberg had already said that Meta has been rebuilding its advertising structure to target iOS users.
Meta shares have fallen more than 3% since the announcement, as investors appear disappointed with the company’s direction.
What do you think about this whole situation? Prefer when your Instagram feed didn’t have suggestions? Let us know in the comments below.
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