Farewell Instagram: Why I'm finally walking away

This covert tracking is one violation too many | New interviews

After years of watching Instagram transform from a haven for photographers into something unrecognizable, I've reached my breaking point. Last week's revelation about Meta's secret surveillance practices was the final straw.

The death of photography on Instagram

When Instagram launched over a decade ago, it was a photographer's paradise. Simple photo sharing (square format only, though), simple filters, and a community genuinely interested in visual storytelling. But somewhere along the way, Meta decided that wasn't profitable enough.

First came the algorithmic assault on photography. Instagram began favoring video content - Reels, Stories, IGTV - anything that kept users scrolling longer. The message was clear: still photography was no longer welcome at the table. Those carefully composed shots, the ones that you cared about to share, were systematically buried by an algorithm that prioritized movement over artistry.

Then came the visibility massacre. Even if you managed to resist the pressure to create video content, your photographs wouldn't reach your own followers. The algorithm became a gatekeeper, demanding payment for the privilege of showing your work to people who had explicitly chosen to see it. What was once organic reach became pay-to-play, turning every post into a marketing calculation rather than a creative expression.

Bending the knee while missing the point

This year brought a particularly troubling development: Meta's complete capitulation to political pressure. The company that once positioned itself as a platform for global connection suddenly began bending to the whims of political actors, implementing content policies that had less to do with community standards and more to do with appeasement.

The hypocrisy of their content moderation reveals the absurdity of these priorities. A platform that will flag and remove artistic photography containing nudity—even classical art or documentary work—freely allows graphic footage of accidents, violence, and tragedy to circulate. A nipple in a fine art photograph violates community standards, but watching someone's final moments apparently doesn't. These aren't community standards; they're corporate calculations designed to appease advertisers and political actors while maximizing engagement through shock content.

Watching a platform bow to governmental pressure while simultaneously spying on its users creates a chilling combination. It's one thing to struggle with algorithm changes; it's entirely another to see a company sacrifice both artistic integrity and user privacy on the altar of political compliance.

Spying on (Android) users is the final blow for me

Photo by Carl Tronders on Unsplash

Last week’s research findings from Radboud University exposed something that should shock every smartphone user. Meta's native Android apps, including Facebook and Instagram, have been silently listening on fixed local ports to receive web tracking data WITHOUT user consent. This isn't just another privacy concern, it's a fundamental betrayal of user trust.

The technical details are as disturbing as they are sophisticated. When users visited websites that included Meta trackers, those trackers connected to a specific address on the phone itself, collecting unique codes that could identify users and linking them to their app sessions. This surveillance system worked even in incognito mode, bypassing Android's privacy protections entirely.

This is particularly problematic due to the scope and secrecy involved. Meta did not inform website owners about this tracking method, nor did they address their complaints and questions. Millions of Android users were unwittingly subjected to cross-platform surveillance that linked their anonymous web browsing to their personal social media profiles.

The research team discovered that this tracking system affected millions of websites embedded with Meta's tracking code and bypassed Android's privacy controls. Meta has been collecting this data since September 2024.

I am really pissed.

My trust is broken beyond repair

Trust, once lost, is nearly impossible to rebuild. Over the past few years, Instagram has systematically eroded the trust of its creative community.

This latest revelation about secret surveillance represents the final calculation in a broken trust equation. When a platform designed for sharing visual creativity becomes a tool for covert data collection, it's time to walk away.

So, now what?

The Instagram exodus we see for some time now forces a fundamental question: should we keep building on other people's platforms, or is it time to build our own digital homes?

Even platforms that seemed like perfect solutions are showing their true colors. Take Substack, which initially felt like the antidote to social media chaos—clean design, direct reader relationships, simple email delivery. But now they're pushing Notes and Chat features, trying to transform newsletters into social networks. They're chasing engagement metrics instead of focusing on what made them exceptional: straightforward, writer-to-reader communication.

This pattern repeats everywhere. Platforms start with a clear value proposition, attract creators, then slowly morph into something else entirely as they chase growth and engagement. Twitter became X. Instagram became TikTok. Substack wants to become Instagram/X/…. The cycle never ends.

The alternative? Your own website. Your own domain. Your own rules.

Yes, it requires more work. Yes, the reach might be smaller initially. But when you control the platform, you control the experience. No algorithms deciding who sees your work. No surveillance systems tracking your visitors. No sudden policy changes that kill your business model overnight.

A personal website might seem quaint in 2025, but it's also permanent. While platforms rise and fall, your domain remains yours. Your content stays where you put it. Your relationship with your audience isn't mediated by someone else's business interests. For photographers especially, this matters. Our work deserves better than algorithmic suppression and covert surveillance. It deserves intentional curation, respectful presentation (like WE want it), and direct connection with people who genuinely appreciate visual storytelling.

The future isn't about finding the next perfect platform—it's about building our own spaces and inviting people to visit on our terms.

Don’t worry, I am not leaving Substack, as they still bring a lot great functionalities, but I am aware this is not my home!

Stay in control!

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This week's new voices in Uncovered

Click on the name to read the interview.

Juliette MANSOUR
"I make sure that I leave lots of gaps in the day and that's when I put up my antenna.”

Geoff MAXTED
” I have chosen this image because for me, it sums up missed opportunities in work, life and love."

Mike VOSS
"but I prefer street photography because it’s more honest. There’s always so much going on and so many choices to make on the fly."

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See you next week,

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