Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, revealed in court that a diminishing fraction of content on the platform is shared among users connecting with friends and family. Instead, Instagram is increasingly shifting towards video content to keep pace with TikTok, he stated, amid government accusations claiming that Meta Platforms holds a monopoly over social media.
Mosseri, who has been part of Meta since 2013 and has led Instagram since 2018, testified in federal court in Washington during the ongoing antitrust trial against Meta. He noted that the competitive landscape of social media has undergone significant transformation since his tenure began. According to Mosseri, Instagram is locked in an intense competition with TikTok and other platforms, all trying to attract the same demographic of users, particularly those under 30.
In his testimony, Mosseri indicated that Instagram’s dynamic has changed notably as it adapts to the success of TikTok. He cited data showing that only one in six posts on Instagram Stories now originates from interactions between users and their friends or family.
TikTok’s rising popularity is central to Meta’s defense strategy in the high-stakes antitrust case brought forth by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which aims to dismantle Meta and require the separation of Instagram and WhatsApp. The FTC’s case will hinge on establishing that Meta has captured and maintained a monopoly over a narrowly defined sector labeled “personal social networking services,” which primarily involves sharing content with family and friends.
On Thursday, Meta’s legal team introduced an internal document from Instagram dating back to September 2019 that highlighted the company’s concerns about TikTok. The document stated in bold letters, “COMPETITION FROM TIKTOK IS A BIG CONCERN.” Instagram’s researchers had identified a decline in user engagement, estimating that TikTok’s emergence was responsible for conservatively 40% of the year-over-year drop in time spent on the platform.
“For us, growth is everything,” Mosseri conveyed in court. “You’re either growing, or you’re slowly dying.”
In light of decreasing user engagement, Mosseri discussed the measures taken by Meta executives to enhance Instagram’s competitiveness against TikTok. These initiatives include substantial financial investments in new feature development, workforce expansion, and advancements in artificial intelligence. Mosseri noted that Instagram has successfully integrated content from friends and family with that of celebrities and public figures to improve user experience.
Dressed professionally after attending the Met Gala in New York, Mosseri maintained composure during his testimony, which occasionally prompted laughter in the courtroom, even from FTC attorneys. He characterized Meta’s acquisition of Instagram as “one of the best acquisitions of all time.”
Earlier, the FTC presented a compilation of Mosseri’s emails, Instagram videos, and podcast appearances from recent years, aiming to illustrate that the platform fundamentally revolves around connections between friends and family. The commission also aimed to argue that the quality of Instagram’s service has suffered due to insufficient investment.
With various roles at Meta, Mosseri adopted a more diplomatic tone compared to other executives who have testified. In response to an email from 2018 where he expressed concerns over limited resources for safety operations, Mosseri noted, “I do think our missions are always greater than our ability to deliver on them,” asserting the need for more resources in areas such as safety.
The FTC further presented correspondence between Mosseri and CEO Mark Zuckerberg from June 2018. In clarifying his previous comments made at Zuckerberg’s residence, Mosseri reinforced his belief that Instagram should maintain its focus on friends and family instead of solely prioritizing influencers. “I think that’s a mistake,” he wrote. Zuckerberg agreed, asserting that “Instagram definitely needs to continue doing friends” and must always focus on personal connections alongside influencers.
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