Instagram versus women of color: Why are women of color protesting Instagram's algorithmic changes?

TL;DR

The paper investigates why women of color (WOC) resist Instagram's algorithmic updates that favor video content from unknown accounts over content from their own networks. It adopts a qualitative approach under an open research strategy, combining semi-structured interviews with WOC and analysis of Instagram posts collected via hashtags over two months. The study seeks to derive design implications for more inclusive rollout of updates and to generalize insights for platforms facing similar challenges with marginalized communities. By examining both user experiences and content visibility, the work aims to guide algorithmic governance toward fairer, more accessible, and empowering social media spaces.

Abstract

Instagram has been appropriated by communities for several contemporary social struggles, often translating into real world action. Likewise, women of color (WOC) have used it to protest, share information and support one another through its various affordances. However, Instagram is known to have frequent updates, and recently the updates have been more drastic. The newest update changed the recommendation algorithm such that it showed video-oriented content (reels) from unknown accounts over static media from a user's own network. Several marginalized communities, and especially WOC resisted this change and others that led to it. Due to the backlash, Instagram rolled back its changes. Drawing from past HCI work on digital platforms for marginalised communities, I propose a qualitative study informed by the open research strategy to understand why WOC are resisting these changes, and eventually provide implications for design that can help implement changes in a more inclusive manner.