Channels with Peter Kafka Meta's Adam Mosseri explains how Instagram really works - and how he wants to build Threads
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May 21, 2025 
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram at Meta, shares insights on the platform's dynamics and the evolution of social media. He dives into the complexities of content moderation and how Instagram navigates its policies. Mosseri discusses the challenges and opportunities of launching Threads as a fresh social network, aiming to learn from past mistakes. He emphasizes the importance of fostering constructive environments and supporting smaller creators to diversify digital landscapes, while also addressing user engagement shifts from traditional platforms.
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Instagram Founders' Autonomy Shift
- Instagram founders had six years of near-full autonomy before Meta increased coordination.
- Adam Mosseri transitioned from low to more autonomy, appreciating the opportunity to lead Instagram with greater freedom.
Politics in Instagram's Algorithm
- Politics content is not suppressed from followers but limited in recommendations from non-followed accounts.
- Ranking overvalues political posts because engagement correlates strongly with emotional reactions, not just interest.
Ranking: Exploitation vs Exploration
- TikTok uses more data and exploration-based ranking to boost new content opportunities.
- Instagram increasingly adopts exploration ranking to find viral posts and promote smaller creators.