Social media platform Instagram has turned into a marketplace for influencers — and its cofounder Kevin Systrom is not happy about it.
“I think we’ve lost the soul of what made Instagram Instagram,” Systrom said during a podcast interview with tech reporter Kara Swisher.
Systrom said he used to go on Instagram to see what his friends and family were doing, but that it has since turned into a business apparatus as creators and brands use the platform to make money.
“My biggest regret, I think, at Instagram is how commercial it got,” he said.
The Irish Data Protection Commission launched an inquiry into Instagram in 2020 for mishandling children’s data, which resulted in Instagram being fined over 400 million euros.
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