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Instagram Attempts To Dispel Shadowbanning Conspiracies
The Meta-owned company wants creators to better understand how the platform’s algorithms work.
A new blog post by Adam Mosseri — Instagram’s top exec — has offered some of the most detailed explanations about how the platform’s algorithm ranks various recommended content in a bid to dispel conspiracy theories concerning shadowbanning.
“Instagram doesn’t have a singular algorithm that oversees what people do and don’t see on the app,” explained Mosseri in his post. Instead, the executive explained that there are several algorithms and ranking systems working behind the scenes of the Explore, Reels, Stories, and Search sections of the app, with each using different signals for cues as to whether a creator or piece of content should be offered for a viewer’s perusal.
Regarding the order of posts in a user’s main feed, the algorithm uses past viewing activity to determine what to show next, as well as “closeness” and “how likely you are to be connected as friends or family”. On the other hand, Explore recommendations are primarily driven by “posts you’ve liked, saved, shared, and commented on in the past” but are more likely to come from creators or accounts the user has never interacted with.
One of the most interesting parts of Mosseri’s blog post is about “addressing shadowbanning”. Mosseri admits there isn’t a universal definition for the term but acknowledges that some creators “use the term to imply that a user’s account or content is limited or hidden without a clear explanation or justification”. Mosseri says that Instagram is working hard to increase transparency around when content or accounts are hidden from the platform’s recommendations.
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Mosseri notes that the “account status” feature will alert users if their content or entire account is considered “ineligible” for recommendations and that an appeals process is also available. While this isn’t the first time Instagram has addressed shadowbanning, there has been a noticeable shift in how the company talks about the topic.
The new details from Adam Mosseri’s blog underscore just how vital algorithm recommendations are to Instagram’s operation. Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg has even said that his goal is to transform both Instagram and Facebook into “discovery engines” focused on recommendations rather than posts from friends.
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UAE Prepares To Launch Two Satellites: Thuraya-2 And MBZ-SAT
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council yesterday.
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council in Dubai on December 16, 2024. The session highlighted the UAE’s ambitious space plans and took stock of the sector’s economic progress.
The council emphasized the growing role of private companies in advancing space technologies, noting that their contributions are now equal to that of the public sector. Members also praised initiatives like the Space Economic Zones Programme, which are designed to fuel innovation and investment in the space industry.
خلال ترؤسنا الاجتماع الأول للمجلس الأعلى للفضاء، بحثنا الاستثمارات الوطنية والمشاريع المقبلة في قطاع الفضاء والذي يشهد تطوراً مستمراً… وجددنا التزامنا بدعم ومواصلة تنفيذ برامج طموحة لاستكشاف الفضاء الخارجي حيث وصل حجم الاستثمارات في هذا القطاع إلى 40 مليار درهم خلال السنوات… pic.twitter.com/etJ33OnuSu
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) December 16, 2024
Discussing the UAE’s space journey, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum remarked, “The national space sector continues to grow and advance, and we take immense pride in the remarkable achievements we have accomplished over the years”.
Sheikh Hamdan also received updates on two upcoming satellite projects: Thuraya-2 and MBZ-SAT. Thuraya-2, developed by Space42, is slated for launch this December. Meanwhile, the MBZ-SAT, created by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), will soon follow. MBRSC, a major driver of the UAE National Space Programme, continues to lead the nation’s space-related developments.
Space42 took the opportunity to showcase its advancements, including ongoing collaborations between public and private entities. The company also outlined strategies to promote innovation, boost revenue streams, and create new opportunities for growth in the sector.
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The UAE’s current projects build on a growing legacy of space exploration. Back in 2020, the nation made headlines with its Mars mission, successfully sending a probe into the planet’s orbit in 2021. This mission, which is now in its second phase as of June 2024, has been collecting critical data to develop a comprehensive diurnal image of Mars.
The UAE also ventured into lunar exploration with an unmanned mission aimed at studying untouched regions of the Moon’s surface. While the probe ultimately crashed during its landing attempt after communication was lost seconds before touchdown, the effort represented a significant step in the country’s exploration ambitions.