IF YOU’RE unhappy with the recent changes to Facebook and Instagram, you’re not going to like what’s coming next.
According to Mark Zuckerberg, the apps are in future going to show even more posts from accounts you don’t follow.
Speaking Wednesday, the Meta CEO doubled down on recent controversial tweaks to Facebook and Instagram’s algorithms.
Those changes encourage their feeds to show more content from people you don’t know and fewer posts from friends and family.
It’s perceived as an attempt to keep pace with Chinese rival TikTok, which has exploded in popularity in recent years.
The app’s meteoric rise is in part thanks to its capacity to feed users with a neverending stream of videos that it thinks they might like.
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Facebook and Instagram are following suit, sparking outcry from fans on social media and an online campaign to reverse the changes.
Popular Instagram stars including Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian and Chrissy Teigen have all called on the platform to do an about-face.
Speaking during an earnings call on Wednesday, a bullish Zuckerberg reiterated Meta’s commitment to its unpopular new direction.
He said that the company will more than double the amount of content from recommended accounts shown on Facebook and Instagram by 2023.
Such recommendations currently make up 15 per cent of the content on Facebook, he said. That percentage is already higher on Instagram.
Like TikTok, the apps use artificial intelligence to dig up content that they think you want to see based on your perceived interests.
“Al finds additional content that people find interesting, that increases engagement and the quality of our feeds.,” Zuck said.
He added that only content people publicly share on Meta’s services, such as links, photos or videos, will be recommended by AI.
It’s whipped fans up into a frenzy in recent weeks, with many calling for Instagram to stay as it was.
One user wrote on Twitter: “Instagram is trying so hard to compete with TikTok that they’re trying to become another TikTok. If I wanted to see video after video from random pages I don’t follow, I wouldn’t be on Instagram. Do what we need from you, and bring back the photos of our actual friends!!!”
Another said: “Instagram is so pointless now. The HOME feed should be for people you follow/want to see, and the EXPLORE page is for other s**t. Stop with the merger!!!!”
Even Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner have gotten involved, publicly calling out Instagram for “trying to be TikTok”
Following TikTok’s astronomical success, social media platforms have been trying to emulate its features.
Instagram and Snapchat, for example, have capped their video content in attempt to follow in TikTok’s footsteps.
Instagram has also been testing a full-screen home feed – one of the features that has helped to make TikTok popular.
In 2020, Meta launched a TikTok-style short video feature called Reels on Facebook and Instagram.
“TikTok’s success is a forcing function on the other social platforms,” Brendan Gahan, partner and chief social officer at Mekanism, told Wired earlier this year.
“They can’t ignore the phenomenal growth – it’s so big it may be the future of social.”
Users aren’t happy with the changes, with many arguing they liked Instagram the way that it was.
Following the fierce online backlash, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri took to Twitter on Tuesday in an attempt to quell the dumpster fire.
“We’re experimenting with a number of different changes to the app,” the 39-year-old said in a statement. “And so we’re hearing a lot of concerns from all of you.
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“This is a lot of change all at once, but know that a number of things about Instagram are going to stay the same.
“We’re going to stay committed to creators more broadly, we’re going to stay committed to supporting photos, we’re going to stay in a place where we try and put your friends’ content at the top of Feed and at the front of Stories whenever possible.”
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