Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri responds to ‘TikTok copycat’ criticisms

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri posted a video on Twitter on Tuesday responding to criticisms as Instagram shifts some of its focus from photo to video.

Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian criticized this shift on Monday, calling it an attempt to copy TikTok. Nearly 150,000 people have signed a petition to “make Instagram Instagram again,” as of Tuesday, calling for the platform to stay focused on photos and use less algorithm-driven videos. 

Mosseri said that interaction with videos is increasing on the platform regardless of the changes it makes, and that it's leaning into what users already consume.

“I do believe that more and more of Instagram is going to become video over time,” he said in the post. “We see this even if we change nothing.”

���� There’s a lot happening on Instagram right now.

I wanted to address a few things we’re working on to make Instagram a better experience.

Please let me know what you think ���� pic.twitter.com/x1If5qrCyS

— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) July 26, 2022

Mosseri conceded that Instagram is testing full-screen feeds for photo and video with a small percentage of users, and that the experience is “not yet good.”

He added that the platform is trying to improve the accuracy of its recommendations, which are posts that Instagram’s algorithm predicts users will engage with, even though they don’t follow that account.