Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has generated attention with his recent statement about the Threads app. In a media discussion, Mosseri disclosed that Threads is intentionally designed to avoid news and politics. According to Mosseri, including such content invites excessive scrutiny and negativity, which compromises the integrity of the app. This surprising stance has sparked interest and discussion among users and observers.
Mosseri emphasises that the Threads app will not actively endorse or prioritise politics and hard news. He highlights that Instagram already hosts thriving communities focused on sports, music, fashion, beauty, and entertainment, which do not necessarily require engagement with political or news-related content. Mosseri’s perspective may have been influenced by his previous role overseeing Facebook’s News Feed. By keeping Threads separate from politics and hard news, Mosseri aims to maintain the app’s focus on other vibrant interests and preserve a positive user experience.
Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has recently taken steps to distance itself from news and politics and address concerns about promoting controversial content. These measures include reducing the visibility of political content on Facebook and renaming the Facebook Feed to exclude the term “News.”
Furthermore, in response to a Canadian law mandating payment for local news, Meta announced its intention to remove news from both Facebook and Instagram in the country. These actions demonstrate Meta’s commitment to reassessing its role in disseminating news and political information, as well as its willingness to make significant changes to align with evolving regulations and user expectations.
Following his initial statement, Adam Mosseri further clarified his position regarding Threads. He explained that while Threads will not actively discourage or downplay news and politics, it will not prioritise or actively seek out such content as Facebook has done in the past. Mosseri acknowledged that Facebook had made hasty promises to the industry in the early 2010s and expressed his desire to avoid repeating those mistakes.
Although Threads may be perceived as Instagram’s response to Twitter, Mosseri has grander ambitions. Aligned with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s vision to reach 1 billion users, Mosseri aims to create a public square within Instagram. This public square would cater to communities that may not be drawn to Twitter and provide a more positive space for conversations, attracting users from Twitter and other platforms who are seeking a more constructive and uplifting environment.
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