Instagram head Adam Mosseri confirms the platform reduces video quality for less-viewed content while prioritizing higher quality for popular creators, sparking concerns about fairness in content distribution.

“We bias to higher quality… for creators who drive more views,” Mosseri wrote on Threads, explaining that the platform degrades video quality for content that hasn’t been watched recently. The company employs an “aggregate” approach on a “sliding scale” rather than making decisions about individual videos.

The policy aims to manage storage costs, as higher-resolution videos with extensive edits require more computing power and server space. Mosseri maintains that the quality difference “isn’t huge” and that content matters more than resolution.

Content creators have expressed concern about the implications for emerging artists. “No one should have to worry about the quality of their content not being retained due to Instagram retaining an engagement bias,” BBC was told by creator Siete Savone, who describes the practice as “incredibly harmful to the creative’s art.”

Social media consultant Matt Navarra pointed out the potential contradictions with Instagram’s previous creator-friendly initiatives. “How can creators gain traction if their content is penalized for not being popular,” he noted for BBC, highlighting the risks of creating an advantage cycle for established creators.

This revelation follows Instagram’s May announcement of changes to its recommendation system, which aimed to “give all creators a more equal chance of breaking through.” The platform previously faced similar creator pushback in 2022 when it reversed plans to prioritize video content over traditional photo posts after criticism from influential users, including Kylie Jenner.

Instagram has not provided BBC with details about the specific metrics or thresholds that trigger quality adjustments.