Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has made headlines with his recent statement about the Threads app. In a conversation with The Verge, Mosseri revealed that Threads is intentionally designed to stay away from news and politics.
According to Mosseri, the inclusion of such content invites excessive scrutiny, negativity and compromises the integrity of the application. This surprising position has sparked interest and discussion among users and observers.
According to the Instagram CEO, the Threads app will not actively endorse or prioritize politics and hard news. Mosseri emphasizes that Instagram already hosts thriving communities focused on sports, music, fashion, beauty and entertainment, which do not require engagement with political or news-related content.
Mosseri’s viewpoint is likely to have been shaped by his previous role overseeing Facebook’s News Feed. By moving Threads away from politics and hard news, Mosseri aims to keep the app’s focus on other vibrant interests and preserve a positive user experience.
Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has recently made efforts to distance itself from news and politics, as well as to address concerns about promoting controversial content. One such measure includes reducing the visibility of political content on Facebook and even renaming the Facebook Feed to exclude the term “News”.
Additionally, in response to a new Canadian law requiring local news to be paid for, Meta announced its intention to remove news from both Facebook and Instagram in the country. These actions demonstrate Meta’s commitment to reevaluate its role in the dissemination of news and political information, as well as its willingness to make significant changes to align with evolving regulations and user expectations.
After his initial statement, Adam Mosseri offered further clarification on his position regarding Threads. He explained that Threads won’t discourage or downplay news and politics, but it won’t prioritize or actively seek out content like Facebook has done in the past.
Mosseri acknowledged that Facebook had made rash promises to the industry in the early 2010s and expressed a desire to avoid repeating those mistakes.
While Threads may be seen as Instagram’s answer to Twitter, Mosseri has bigger ambitions. Aligned with the vision set by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to reach 1 billion users, Mosseri aims to create a public square on Instagram. This public square would serve communities that may not be attracted to Twitter and provide a more positive space for conversation, attracting users of Twitter and other platforms who are looking for a more constructive and uplifting environment.
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Updated: 08 July 2023, 15:13 IST
