Instagram has made a significant decision to cut 60 positions in their technical program manager department, as reported by The Information. This move involves eliminating a layer of management within the company. According to the report, impacted employees will be given a two-month window to apply for other jobs within the company. Afterwards, their employment will be terminated if they are unable to secure a new role.
A former Instagram employee mentioned in a LinkedIn post that some technical program managers may have to “re-interview for PM roles” or project manager positions.
A spokesperson for Meta declined to comment on these job cuts. Instead, they referred to Mark Zuckerberg’s March 2023 blog post discussing the company’s “Year of Efficiency.” In this post, Zuckerberg stated that Meta’s focus would be on improving financial performance and reducing headcount.
The Information reports that Instagram has also announced a restructuring of their product teams. The company has decided to divide the team responsible for helping users create and share content into three new focus areas: Creation, Creators, and Friend Sharing.
These changes reflect Instagram’s intention to narrow its focus on supporting creators who have a significant impact on teen engagement on the platform. This shift may not come as a surprise, but it comes amid ongoing legal action. Currently, more than 40 states are suing Meta, claiming that their services contribute to mental health issues in young users.
The lawsuit alleges that Meta has “profoundly altered the psychological and social realities of a generation of young Americans” through their use of “powerful and unprecedented technologies” to attract and ensnare youth.
This emphasis on teen engagement also coincides with Meta’s upcoming appearance before the Senate on January 31 to discuss child safety. Along with X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Snap, and Discord, Meta executives will face pressing questions from committee members about their platforms’ failure to protect children online.
Despite facing intense regulatory pressure, Instagram remains committed to engaging and retaining teens. However, in an attempt to appease lawmakers, Meta has recently implemented changes regarding teen safety. In a recent announcement, they revealed that Instagram and Facebook will automatically limit the type of content teenage users can view on their platforms. This includes restricting access to harmful content, such as posts about self-harm, graphic violence, and eating disorders.
