Kim, there’s like that are dying. Kim, Kylie, and Kourtney Kardashian have all shared a groundbreaking infographic by photographer Tati Bruening, who goes by the handle @illumitati, criticizing Instagram’s algorithm.
“Make Instagram Again,” it reads. “(stop trying to be TikTok I just want to see cute photos of my friends.) Sincerely, Everyone.” Bruening also created a Change.org petition on July 22 calling to “BRING BACK CHRONOLOGICAL TIMELINES!” which at the time of this post reached over 163,000 online signatures. There are nearly 2 million likes on the original Instagram infographic.
Along with the famous siblings, Bruening seems to be criticizing Instagram’s confusing algorithm, out-of-date design, and imminent shift to an even more aggressively video-focused platform. Kylie’s share, along with comments from Chrissy Teigen and James Charles, launched it into virality, reminding people of the last time she criticized an app in 2018 when she tweeted: “sooo does anyone else not open Snapchat anymore? Or is it just me …” Soon after, Snapchat lost over $1 billion.
Instagram CEO and former Facebook executive Adam Mosseri released a PSA on July 26 addressing the app’s upgrades for a “better experience,” maybe in response to his second-most popular user’s worries.
In the two-minute video discussing the TikTokification of Instagram, Mosseri claimed that the updates are still being tested to explain why feeds may be out of order or may show “recommended” material rather than users’ real followings, which may have an effect on engagement.
“Now, if you’re seeing things in your Feed that are recommendations that you’re not interested in, that means that we’re doing a bad job ranking,” he explained. “And we need to improve.” He added that Instagram thinks the recommendations feature “is one of the most effective and important ways to help creators reach more people.”
“We want to do our best by creators, particularly small creators, and we see recommendations as one of the best ways to help them reach a new audience and grow their following,” Mosseri added.
Sure, Jan. He ended his video with a peace sign and a reminder that the app’s evolution is just as important as seeing a photo dump of your best friend’s vacation. Well, don’t be surprised if you hear from Pete Davidson’s girlfriend-slash-lawyer!