Instagram will begin asking some of its users about their race and ethnicity in an effort to better serve historically marginalized communities, it said in a blog post Thursday.
The optional survey will ask users what race they identify with, Instagram manager Adam Mosseri said.
In a video on its social media accounts, Mosseri said that if the company wants to make sure the platform is fair, it needs to understand how it works for its users.
“We know that groups that have been historically marginalized contribute disproportionately to creativity, to advancing culture,” Mosseri said. “So it’s in our interest to make sure Instagram is as great an experience as possible for all communities, for all individuals, regardless of identification.”
The survey, optional for users invited to participate, will be hosted by YouGov, an international research group. Texas Southern University, University of Central Florida, Northeastern University and Oasis Labs will partner with Instagram to assess the data. An aggregate assessment of the data will then be shared with Instagram, according to Instagram’s blog post.
In 2020, Instagram created an “Equity Team” to address concerns of black and other creators of color on the platform and to investigate algorithmic bias. The team is also focused on whether Instagram operates “fairly” for all users, Mosseri said. The survey is part of how the platform plans to achieve this goal, he added.
In its blog post, Instagram said it needs to “collect and measure” demographic information, which includes information about race and ethnicity, to “better understand the different experiences people may have on Instagram.”
The survey will be sent to a select number of users in the United States starting Thursday.
Mosseri also stressed that the platform will not link a survey to a person’s account, nor will it change how the respondent uses the app.
If ‘you share, we can’t https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiW2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5iY25ld3MuY29tL3RlY2gvdGVjaC1uZXdzL2luc3RhZ3JhbS1nb2luZy1zdGFydC1zdXJ2ZXlpbmctdXNlcnMtcmFjZS1yY25hNDA0NzXSAQA?oc=5 your survey response with your specific real Instagram account,” he said. “It will not limit your Instagram experience.”
Instagram announced other changes this year to better support Black and other users of color, such as introducing a special tag for content creators to credit those who submit trending content and ideas.
The changes come amid a backlash over how the platform has historically treated its black users and other users of color. For example, last year the app came under fire for introducing a “sensitive content” filter that appeared to negatively affect black users.
Instagram and its parent company, Meta, have also faced backlash over app updates. In recent weeks, content creators have expressed frustration with Instagram’s increased photo and video size, which has the effect of making the app a “full-screen” experience, like TikTok. . Some even threatened to quit the app following the change.
Mosseri said on Tuesday the changes were a “test,” but he acknowledged that Instagram was becoming a more video-friendly platform.