Instagram will soon let you reset your content recommendations
Meta Platforms Inc.’s Instagram is letting some users reset their content recommendations, essentially restarting the algorithm that determines what types of posts and videos they see in their feed.
The change, which is just a test but will soon be rolled out globally, is aimed at giving people more control if they notice that the content in their Instagram feed no longer matches their interests. Earlier this year, Instagram announced new privacy controls that let teen users choose the topics they want to see more often, such as books, travel, cooking or sports. Instagram already allows people to share whether they are interested in videos recommended to them, and takes into account other signals, such as whether someone likes or shares a post, to help decide what to show.
Resetting the recommendation algorithm also gives users a chance to review the accounts they follow in case they want to drop people. “We want to ensure that everyone on Instagram – especially teens – has safe, positive, age-appropriate experiences and feels like the time they spend on Instagram is valuable,” Meta wrote in a blog post on Tuesday. “We want to give teens new ways to shape their Instagram experience so it can continue to reflect their passions and interests as they develop.”
Meta has recommended more entertainment-related content on Instagram, moving away from news and politics as it tries to increase the amount of time young people spend on its apps and avoid confrontational posts. The company has also recommended more content from strangers, or people users don’t already follow, as it tries to compete with ByteDance Ltd.-owned TikTok.
TikTok’s algorithm, which has been credited with the app’s meteoric rise, is known for its ability to help people go ‘viral’ by recommending their content to people who don’t already follow them. More than a billion people worldwide use TikTok, including many teenagers who watch hours of video content every day. Last year, TikTok also introduced a feature that lets users reset their video feeds, along with an update that showed teens less potentially harmful content, such as videos about sadness, extreme diets or sexually suggestive topics.
© 2024 BloombergLP
