Instagram recently announced that it will begin introducing advertisements next month. Facebook, which acquired the photo and video sharing mobile app in 2012, promised that it would “make sure” users would still have control over what they see. The fact that this promise is being broken makes this news even more disappointing. The introduction of ads undermines the Instagram experience, which cannot be gained through any other image-sharing social platform.
The uniqueness of Instagram comes from the user’s ability to have complete control over what he or she sees. Users can cherry-pick content streams that interest them simply by following others or searching for particular hashtags. The app then loads posts from chosen streams to the user’s own feed, allowing them to see the images they want in a single stream without any clutter. However, once ads are introduced, commercial posts will start appearing in the middle of this carefully curated content. This change will override the user’s autonomy.
To make their decision sound more appealing, Facebook states that it will “focus on delivering a small number of beautiful, high-quality photos and videos” so that the ads can be “as natural to Instagram as the photos and videos many of [the users] already enjoy.” But, let’s face it — ads are ads, nothing more and nothing less. Regardless of their quality, they are designed for commercial use and cannot be the same as genuine posts. Moreover, people generally find ads on tiny smartphone screens more irritating than those on other platforms. Although Facebook claims that it wants “ads to be creative and engaging,” it is questionable whether the ads that feign regular Instagram posts will be any less interruptive.
To justify its advertising tactics, Facebook asserts that introducing ads will make Instagram a “sustainable business.” Of course, Instagram should at least earn enough money for its own servers. However, considering Facebook’s performance this year, the company does not seem to be in a dire need for the extra income. According to its third-quarter report, its income from operations was $736 million, compared to $377 million in the same quarter in 2012, and the revenue from advertising increased by 66 percent. As Facebook finally tries to cash in on Instagram for even more income, Instagramers bemoan the loss of a once ad-free social network.