Instagram on Wednesday unveiled a new AI-powered feature that allows users to view and adjust the algorithm behind their Reels feed, describing it as a major step toward giving users more control over what they see.
The Meta-owned platform is introducing a tool called “Your Algorithm,” accessible from an icon in the upper-right corner of the Reels interface. The feature displays the topics Instagram believes users are interested in, based on their past viewing activity.
In a blog post, Meta said users can now directly indicate which subjects they want to see more or less of, with recommendations updating in real time.
Social media companies have come under growing pressure from regulators and users to increase transparency around algorithmic content curation, which critics warn can fuel echo chambers, amplify misinformation, or promote harmful material. At the same time, platforms have long guarded their recommendation systems as their competitive “secret sauce” and resisted calls for greater openness.
“Instagram has always been a place to dive deep into your interests and connect with friends,” the company said. “As your interests evolve, we want to give you more meaningful ways to control what you see.”
The new feature shows users a summary of their top interests and allows them to search for specific topics to fine-tune their feed.
Instagram said it is “leading the way” in offering such transparency and plans to extend the tool beyond Reels to Explore and other sections of the app.
The feature launched Wednesday in the United States and will roll out globally in English “soon,” according to the company.
The announcement comes as Australia, in a world first, moved to ban people under 16 from several major social media platforms, including Instagram, in an effort to “take back control” from tech giants and protect children from “predatory algorithms.”
AFP
