Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, spoke at an Australian press briefing on Thursday, warning that users who switch off the platform’s recommendation system experience a markedly worse experience. According to Mosseri, engagement can fall by as much as 50 % when users opt for a chronological feed, and satisfaction scores drop sharply. He said that a purely time‑ordered feed becomes overwhelmed with content from companies, brands, and publishers, causing users to miss more posts and spend less time on the app. Mosseri emphasized that he is not claiming a chronological feed harms users directly; rather, it reduces engagement and time spent, which are the very outcomes Australia’s draft Digital Duty of Care bill seeks to produce. The bill would require platforms to prompt users to turn ranking off, based on the premise that high engagement and long session times are harmful. Mosseri noted that the brands‑and‑publishers argument is strong: a feed ordered only by time surfaces whatever is posted most frequently, which is generally not content from friends. He pointed out that this dynamic is partly a product of Instagram’s own design, because the ranked feed previously rewarded professional accounts for posting at high volume. Removing the ranking does not erase the behavior it encouraged. The briefing also highlighted an internal inconsistency: Mosseri has advocated for algorithm customization to become a core, visible part of the app, yet Australia’s proposal would simply prompt users to disable ranking—a measure Mosseri says addresses who initiates the conversation and how easy the off switch is to find. He recalled that Instagram previously offered a chronological feed in 2022 after U.S. political pressure, but it required users to select it each session rather than persisting as a setting. The lesson, he said, is that a right that is not surfaced is not exercised, which is why the Australian draft mandates prompting rather than mere availability. Mosseri also noted that he did not provide data on wellbeing, regret, or post‑use feelings, which are the metrics legislators are actually asking about. Regarding addiction, he said labeling Instagram as addictive is controversial and distinguished colloquial from clinical usage, a stance relevant to ongoing litigation. Finally, he referenced Europe’s experience: Article 38 of the Digital Services Act has required very large platforms to offer a non‑profiling feed option since 2023, and modest adoption there could reflect poor visibility of the option rather than lack of interest.
Key facts
- Mosseri said engagement can fall by up to 50 % when users switch off Instagram’s recommendation system.
- He stated satisfaction scores drop significantly under a chronological feed.
- The Australian draft Digital Duty of Care bill would require platforms to prompt users to turn ranking off.
- Mosseri argued that a time‑ordered feed becomes overwhelmed with brand and publisher content.
- He noted Instagram previously offered a chronological feed in 2022 as a per‑session option, not a persistent setting.