INSTAGRAM IS SHAPESHIFTING, AGAIN

“Let’s be honest, there is some really serious competition right now,” Mosseri said in his statement, openly citing TikTok and YouTube. The global reign of video is what the app is primarily aiming to “lean into”. Instagram’s solutions will be “full-screen”, “immersive”, and “mobile-first.” (For avid users of the app this is perhaps not hugely surprising, with the rise of Reels and IGTV, as well as the integration of shopping.) Mosseri also explained some further adjustments, soon to be implemented, that included showing users recommendations for new topics to follow. It is worth noting that the app has been no stranger to controversy in recent months. In May, for instance, it was accused of hiding pro-Palestine content, in the midst of the Gaza conflict (a letter, which 174 Facebook employees signed, called for new measures to ensure that pro-Palestinian content was not unfairly suppressed). Such instances, in tandem with competition from fresher alternatives, has undoubtedly prompted Instagram’s shapeshifting.