Instagram Chief: Chronological Feeds Create 'Much Worse' User Experience

Instagram head Adam Mosseri has warned that removing algorithmic curation from user feeds results in a significantly degraded experience. His comments come as the Australian government moves to increase user agency over how content is delivered on social media.

Mosseri stated that the average user experience gets "much worse" without algorithms, arguing that chronological feeds allow brands and publishers to overwhelm the system. According to Mosseri, this environment ensures that "creators get drowned out, and then your friends get drowned out even more." To support his position, Mosseri claims that engagement levels can drop by as much as 50% when users switch from an algorithmic feed to a chronological one.

The Push for 'My Feed, My Way'

These warnings arrive as Australia proposes the "My Feed, My Way" bill. This legislative framework would require social media platforms to use push notifications to explicitly inform users that they have the option to opt out of algorithmic curation. While Instagram already offers a chronological "Following" feed globally, the platform typically reverts to the algorithmic default whenever a user restarts the application.

Australia is not alone in this regulatory push. The European Union has required large platforms to provide chronological feed options since 2023. More recently, in October 2025, a Dutch court took a more aggressive stance by ordering that chronological feeds be set as the default for users.

The Battle Over Defaults

This conflict underscores a fundamental tension between user autonomy and the business models of major tech platforms. While users may desire more control over their digital consumption, platforms rely on algorithmic engagement to maximize the time spent in-app, which in turn drives advertising revenue. Mosseri's emphasis on the importance of defaults suggests that platforms prioritize algorithmic feeds to maintain high engagement metrics.

This debate is part of a broader global effort to mitigate social media addiction and psychological harm. Meta recently settled a $23 billion lawsuit with 29 US states following allegations that Instagram was designed to addict young people. As part of that settlement, Meta agreed to allow teenagers in the US to choose a chronological feed.

The Path Forward

Despite the legal pressure, Mosseri continues to defend the platform's design, stating, "I do not believe Instagram was addictive, although that might be 'controversial to say'." It remains to be seen whether the Australian government will finalize the "My Feed, My Way" bill and how Meta will implement the required notifications if the law passes. Observers will be watching to see if forced transparency leads to a significant migration toward chronological feeds or if the "much worse" experience Mosseri predicts becomes the reality for the majority of users.