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Former Facebook VP of News Feed and recently appointed Instagram VP of Product Adam Mosseri has been named the new head of Instagram. “We are thrilled to hand over the reins to a product leader with a strong design background and a focus on craft and simplicity — as well as a deep understanding of the importance of community” Instagram’s founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger write. “These are the values and principles that have been essential to us at Instagram since the day we started, and we’re excited for Adam to carry them forward.”
Instagram’s founders announced last week that they were resigning after sources told TechCrunch the pair had dealt with dwindling autonomy from Facebook and rising tensions with its CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Mosseri’s experience dealing with the unintended consequences of the News Feed such as fake news in the wake of the 2016 election could help him predict how Instagram’s growth will impact culture, politics, and user well-being.
Mosseri joined Facebook in 2008 after attending NYU and briefly working at a startup called TokBox. Tasked with helping Facebook embrace mobile as design director, he’s since become part of Zuckerberg’s inner circle of friends and lieutenants. Mosseri later moved into product management and oversaw Facebook’s News Feed, turn it into the world’s most popular social technology and the driver of billions in profit from advertising. After going on parental leave this year, he returned to take over the role of Instagram VP of Product Kevin Weil as he move to Facebook’s blockchain team.
“The impact of their work over the past eight years has been incredible. They built a product people love that brings joy and connection to so many lives” Mosseri wrote about Instagram’s founders in an…Instagram post. I’m humbled and excited about the opportunity to now lead the Instagram team. I want to thank them for trusting me to carry forward the values that they have established. I will do my best to make them, the team, and the Instagram community proud.”
Mosseri’s most pressing responsibility will be reassurring users that the culture of Instagram and its app won’t be assimilated into Facebook now that he’s running things instead of the founders. He’ll also need to snap into action to protect Instagram from being used as a pawn for election interference in the run-up to the 2018 US mid-terms.
