Instagram reverses changes to the platform repudiated by users | Technology

Instagram goes backwards. For now. The social network announced this Thursday that in the coming weeks it will eliminate the style of news that it copied from TikTok, an adjustment to increase the screen time and video consumption of users. This design provoked a rebellion of hundreds of thousands of people who posted a poster on their accounts that borrowed the most popular of Donald Trump’s phrases: Make Instagram Instagram again. Ironically, users asked to be herself to the best platform to trigger your anxiety about the luxurious life that your friends seem to lead.

“I like the fact that we have taken risks. If we don’t fail from time to time it’s because we’re not thinking big enough or bold enough,” said Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, in an interview with TheVerge, a medium specialized in technology. “But we definitely have to step back and regroup. We have learned a lot and we will come back with some new idea or some reiteration”, admitted the developer. Mosseri also recognizes that on many occasions the change generates repudiation in the users. On this occasion, their displeasure has become very clear. “People are frustrated with the new design and the usage data is not very good,” he added.

The network, owned by Meta (formerly Facebook), had recently launched a black background design that opened the feedthe stream of notifications, with reels, videos in vertical format and of short duration to be seen on the whole screen. These, which could well be the content of a stranger suggested by the algorithm, were followed by an eternal reel of images. The American photographer and influencer Tati Bruening had complained about these adjustments. The influencer had started a resistance campaign so that photos and videos of friends and acquaintances you follow would be prioritized again. Her claim was supported by more than 165,000 people in 30 countries on Change.org.

The resistance enjoyed almost immediate public support. important instagramers They joined the campaign. Among these, Kylie Jenner and her sister, Kim Kardashian. Between them they add more than 380 million followers on the platform, which was bought in 2012 by Facebook for 1,000 million dollars. Mosseri had reacted to all the negative samples with a video explaining that these were tests with the goal of giving users a big-screen experience on their mobile users.

Mosseri, however, has told TheVerge that the commitment to video within Meta was prior to the launch of TikTok, which has become the most downloaded social network in the world and a real threat to Mark Zuckerberg’s company. In February, the company dropped $250 billion of capitalization on the day it presented 2021 results. These indicated that the technology company would face serious obstacles in 2022 due to the loss of advertising revenue due to privacy adjustments on iPhones, where users can disable data tracking.

Zuckerberg then explained to employees and shareholders that Meta was going to focus, in the short term, on its video products as a way to hold ground against TikTok’s push.

This Wednesday, in the presentation of results for the second half, the executive president of the technology company reported that the company will give a boost to what they call the discovery engine. These are the number of posts from other accounts, not followed, that are recommended by the algorithm. The company has set that these will reach 30% by the end of 2023. Currently, they represent 15% on Facebook and a little more on Instagram.

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