Instagram is once more at risk of outrage from its users as its parent company Meta is looking to increase its profits.
The social media website is adding two additional ad slots to the feeds of users and letting businesses display ads on the Explore homepage and within the feeds of profiles.
The announcement comes a few months after Instagram users slammed the app’s growth in the number of content that is recommended by AI. At the moment, around 15 percent of the content on an individual’s Facebook or Instagram feed is suggested by the app’s AI.
This is evident in posts from groups, accounts, or people who don’t have followers. In the next year, Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said, those figures will more than double.
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Meta will also be making modifications to its TikTok rival (Reels) and is introducing “post loop” advertisements that air following the user’s video. Although the ads are brief (4 up to 10 seconds) and usually skippable it could render the reels less appealing for users who frequently view TikToks more than one time.
The advertisements on Instagram’s Explore homepage will be displayed on the grid that users are able to view when using this tool. It’s a change from the previous system, which was where ads were only displayed within an Explore feed that users would view after tapping on an article.
However, it’s Instagram’s ads on its profile feed that could irritate users most. After clicking on a user’s feed, and then being capable of scrolling through their most recent posts, you’ll be able to see ads scattered throughout the images and reels.
Meta claims that the feed ads are the result of a test, and they won’t appear in the feeds of teens. To prevent protests from happening Meta claims it will provide an opportunity for the most well-known Instagram customers to make money through the advertisements.
Ads in the feeds of profiles give advertisers the chance to increase their reach quickly using the feed’s assets that are already in place as well as giving users the same customized ads they see in their primary Instagram feeds,” the company said.
As part of the test, we’ll test an opportunity to monetize that allows creators eligible to earn additional revenue through ads that appear in their feeds for profiles starting with a select group of U.S. creators.”
Meta, in July, reported its first-ever drop in quarterly revenue and earlier this year, said its daily active users were falling as well. This comes as sites like BeReal and TikTok continue to lure away younger users.
