It's a phenomenon as old as the internet: an online service tweaks its functionality and its users howl in outrage at the changes. But the kerfuffle over Instagram's most recent update is unusual. It reveals a profound structural weakness in both the platform and its parent company.

In late July, Instagram began to roll out updates, significantly increasing both the volume of videos in its users' feeds and the volume of ‘recommended’ content (i.e. content posted by accounts that users do not follow). Anyone familiar with social media trends will recognise these changes for what they are: an attempt to imitate TikTok.