Instagram CEO’s Testimony Admits: 'Adapt or Die' in TikTok Era

The post Instagram CEO’s Testimony Admits: 'Adapt or Die' in TikTok Era appeared first on Android Headlines.

May 9, 2025 - 20:27

Over the years, Instagram has seen its fair share of competitors. However, despite the fierce competition in the social media space, Instagram has managed to hold on. But then TikTok came along, and that’s when Instagram doubled down. During the FTC’s antitrust trial against Meta, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri gave testimony that revealed the company’s precarious position.

Instagram CEO’s testimony

Writing to his team back in March 2020, Mosseri said, “We can’t explain it all, but what’s clear at this point is that we need to adapt, and do so quickly. You’re either growing, or you’re slowly dying.”

For a bit of backstory, Meta is currently facing an antitrust lawsuit brought on by the FTC. The FTC alleges that Meta’s acquisition of various companies, like WhatsApp and Instagram, is less about boosting competition and more about killing it. Mosseri’s testimony suggests that the Instagram CEO sees itself in competition with TikTok, which could strengthen the FTC’s case against it.

Instagram’s continued relevancy

That being said, Instagram has remained relevant all these years despite facing stiff competition. This is mainly due to the company successfully “borrowing” popular features from other apps. One of those features is Instagram Stories, which are borrowed from Snapchat’s own Stories.

This quickly became a popular part of Instagram, allowing users to post content to their profile without making it part of their feed. This was useful for announcements or small updates that might not necessarily be feed-worthy. Another feature that Instagram “borrowed” was Reels.

It’s hard not to see that “this “Reels” was Instagram’s attempt at trying to follow in TikTok’s footsteps. During its early days, Instagram even penalized creators who reposted TikTok videos onto Reels by making it less likely that the algorithm would recommend these videos.

Reels has since become quite popular among creators, although some might argue that TikTok’s algorithm is better. TikTok is also currently in a precarious position of its own. The app was slated to be banned in the US earlier this year.

However, after Trump took office, he extended the ban deadline in an effort to find a potential US buyer for the app. Currently, things look complicated, as China would have to approve the sale as well.

In the meantime, Instagram stands to benefit from this. If TikTok really ends up getting banned, we’re sure Instagram has no problems stepping in and filling that void.

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