Instagram’s chief has finally addressed the elephant in the room: Does Instagram secretly throttle sponsored content? 

For years, whispers have circulated through marketing circles about Instagram’s alleged shadow war against sponsored content. The theory was juicy: Instagram deliberately suffocates sponsored posts to force brands into paying for ads.

But it’s all smoke and mirrors. Instagram isn’t playing puppet master with your sponsored content’s reach, in order to force you to pay for reach. In fact, they’re practically begging creators to tag sponsored content properly, promising it won’t hurt their visibility. 

While Mosseri is clearing the air about sponsored content, he’s also confirmed that some content does face penalties – specifically, Reels with TikTok or YouTube watermarks. 

So, who’s the real villain here? We think it’s really human psychology. When users spot that “Sponsored” tag, many scroll past faster than they ghost a bad date. It’s not Instagram’s algorithm wielding the axe – it’s good old-fashioned user behavior. 

In summary, for creators and brands walking the tightrope between authenticity and monetization, this clarity is worth its weight in likes.

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