SAN FRANCISCO: Instagram on Wednesday unveiled a new AI-powered feature that lets users view and adjust the algorithm shaping their Reels feed, calling it a pioneering move toward greater user control.
The Meta-owned app is introducing “Your Algorithm,” accessible through an icon in the upper right corner of Reels — a user’s video feed — which displays the topics Instagram believes users are interested in based on their viewing history.
In a blog post, Meta said users can now directly tell the platform which subjects they want to see more or less of, with recommendations adjusting accordingly in real time.
Social media platforms have faced mounting pressure from regulators and users alike to provide greater transparency around algorithmic content curation, which critics say can create echo chambers or promote harmful content.
But companies also see algorithms as their platform’s ‘secret sauce’ for engaging users and have often resisted greater transparency.
“Instagram has always been a place to dive deep into your interests and connect with friends,” the company said in its blog. “As your interests evolve over time, we want to give you more meaningful ways to control what you see.”
The feature shows users a summary of their top interests and allows them to type in specific topics to fine-tune their feed.
Instagram said it is “leading the way” in offering such transparency and control, with plans to expand the feature beyond Reels to Explore and other sections of the app.
The tool launched Wednesday in the United States and will roll out globally in English “soon,” the company said.
The move came as Australia, in a world-first, banned people under age 16 from a raft of popular social media apps, including Instagram. The government said it aimed to “take back control” from tech giants and protect children from “predatory algorithms.”
Instagram users given new algorithm controls
https://arab.news/gwbsk
Instagram users given new algorithm controls
- “Your Algorithm” shows users a summary of their top interests and lets them type in specific topics to customize their feed
- The new feature, touted as giving users greater control, has launched in the US and will roll out globally soon
Press groups slam Israel’s ongoing ban on foreign journalists entering Gaza
- Israeli government did not officially explain why it continues to block journalists, despite earlier pledges to reexamine its position
- Government’s next response is due by Dec. 21, though court observers warn this deadline may once again be extended
LONDON: Press freedom advocates and international news organizations have condemned Israel’s ban on international journalists entering Gaza despite a nearly two-month-long ceasefire with Hamas.
On Thursday, Israel’s Supreme Court granted yet another extension for the government to respond to the case, the ninth delay since a petition was filed by the Foreign Press Association in Israel in September 2024, demanding open access for foreign correspondents to report from the war-torn enclave.
The delay drew condemnations, with The New York Times, one of the media organizations supporting the legal challenge, saying the restrictions are “limiting reporting on the ground that is vital to understanding the conflict and assuring the free and credible flow of information.”
In a statement quoted by the newspaper, a spokesperson urged Israel to “lift restrictions without delay, allowing all journalists to work securely and without fear or hesitation.”
Sara Qudah, Middle East and North Africa director at the Committee to Protect Journalists, said the ban echoed press crackdowns seen in authoritarian regimes, calling it “a deliberate barrier to accountability.”
Israel has come under intensifying pressure to allow journalists inside Gaza throughout the years of the war.
Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, Israeli authorities have prevented foreign journalists from independently entering the devastated territory, allowing only a handful of reporters to accompany its troops into the Palestinian territory under Israeli blockade.
Reporters said they were not permitted to conduct independent investigations or speak freely with residents during the coverage tours.
Human rights organizations and press freedom advocates said the absence of international media has made it harder to independently verify war crimes or abuses committed by Israel and Hamas.
While Israel has previously cited “security concerns” and the need to protect military operations as justification, press groups maintain that such arguments no longer hold, especially in the current ceasefire climate.
The Israeli government did not officially explain why it continues to block journalists, despite earlier pledges to reexamine its position. In October, the government told the court it would review the policy within 30 days “in light of the ceasefire,” but no changes have followed.
The government’s next response is due by Dec. 21, though court observers warn this deadline may once again be extended.
The CPJ reported that more than 200 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza during the war, calling it “the deadliest conflict for journalists since CPJ began documenting deaths in 1992.”
A day after the latest court extension, FPA released a statement, saying it “firmly opposed” another delay to the Israeli supreme court’s decision on its petition demanding independent access to the Gaza Strip.
“Continuously preventing coverage — every minute, every hour, every day — seriously undermines the ability of international media to carry out their mission, and infringes on the fundamental rights of billions of users,” the FPA said in a statement.
The association represents hundreds of foreign journalists working for international news organizations in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
In October, it joined numerous international organizations that have demanded press access into Gaza. In July, major news agencies including AFP, AP, BBC and Reuters released a joint statement urging Israel to allow journalists in and out of Gaza, voicing concerns on the status of Palestinian journalists enduring famine, bombardment and displacement while covering the war for international outlets.
