Instagram doesn’t have a single algorithm that controls what people do and don’t see on the app. Instagram top manager Adam Mosseri wrote about this in a new blog, reports Engadget.
Instead, there are several algorithms and ranking systems that underlie Explore, Reels, Stories, and Search. They use different signals to determine how content ranks for each user.
For example, the order of posts in the main feed is determined by the user’s past activity and previous interaction with the person who made the post. Posts in Stories take into account viewing history, as well as proximity, or the likelihood that users are related as friends or family.
Recommendations in Explore are mostly based on posts you’ve liked, saved, shared, and commented on in the past. But most likely, they come from accounts that users have never interacted with.
Adam Mosseri also drew attention to the fight against “shadowbanning”. And while there is no universal definition of the term, it does recognize that the term is used to mean that a user’s account or content is restricted or hidden without a clear explanation or justification.
He said the company is working to increase transparency about when content or author accounts are blocked from the app’s recommendations. It also draws attention to the “account status” feature, which can alert you if a user’s post or account is deemed “ineligible” for recommendations. This feature also offers an appeals process.
In addition, Instagram is testing new notifications that will help creators understand when their video’s reach may be limited due to a watermark.
It was previously reported that Instagram, now owned by Meta Platforms, is developing a text service that will compete with Twitter and may launch it as early as June. Now the company is testing the project on celebrities and influencers, and it has been going on for the past months.
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