Instagram has responded to criticism over an increased focus on video by saying there’s going to be an increased focus on video.
While high profile users like Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner have reprimanded the firm for trying to be too much like TikTok, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri says “more and more of Instagram is going to become video over time.”
In a video posted to Twitter, Mosseri says even if the company made no further changes, the trend towards users posting more video is growing naturally. Even viewers looking at their chronological feed, with no algorithmic interference from the company, will see more video.
“If you look at what people like and consume and view on Instagram, that’s also shifting more and more to video over time, even when we stop changing anything. So we’re going to have to lean into that shift while continuing to support photos,” he said.
Indeed, Mosseri prefaced the video talk by assuring users that photos aren’t going anywhere and will remain an integral part of the Instagram experience. However, the ‘sorry, but that’s just the way it is’ explanation is unlikely to appease users, including two of the biggest reality TV stars on the planet in Kardashian and Jenner. The influencers, who reach a combined audience of 686 followers, shared the same message in a Story on Monday: “Make Instagram Instagram again (stop trying to be TikTok. I just want to see cute photos of my friends). Sincerely, everyone.”
The outcry comes in the context of an Instagram test that debuts a full-screen video experience that further resembles TikTok. Meanwhile, all Instagram videos that are shorter than 15 minutes will now be shared as Reels. The company also launched a new feature that enables publicly posted photos to be turned into Reels.
“We’re going to stay in a place where we try and put your friends’ content at the top of feed and the front of stories whenever possible,” Mosseri added. “But we’re also going to need to evolve because the world is changing quickly, and we’re going to have to change along with it.”
So, you know, stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Kim!
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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