Instagram will begin surveying some of its users about their race and ethnicity in an effort to better serve historically marginalized communities, it said in a blog post Thursday.
The optional survey will ask users what race they identify as, said Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram.
In a video on his social media accounts, Mosseri said that if the company is going to ensure that the platform is equitable, it needs to understand how it's working for its users.
"We know that groups that have been historically marginalized disproportionately contribute to creativity, toward pushing culture forward," Mosseri said. "So it's in our interest to make sure that Instagram is as great an experience as it can be for all communities, for all individuals, no matter how they identify."
The survey, which is optional for users who are asked to participate, will be hosted by YouGov, an international research group. Texas Southern University, the University of Central Florida, Northeastern University and Oasis Labs will partner with Instagram to assess the data. An aggregated assessment of the data will later be shared with Instagram, according to Instagram’s blog post.
In 2020, Instagram established an “Equity Team” to address concerns from Black and other creators of color on the platform and to study algorithmic biases. The team also focuses on whether Instagram is operating in a "fair" way to all users, Mosseri said. The survey is part of how the platform plans to achieve that goal, he added.
In its blog post, Instagram said it needs to "collect and measure" demographic information, which includes information about race and ethnicity, to "better understand different experiences people may have on Instagram."
The survey will be pushed to a selected number of users in the U.S. starting Thursday.
Mosseri also stressed that the platform won't link a survey to a person's account and that it won't change the way the respondent uses the app.
If "you do share, we cannot [link] your answer to the survey with your actual specific account on Instagram," he said. "It will not limit your Instagram experience."
Instagram this year announced other changes to better support Black and other users of color, such as introducing a special tag for content creators to credit those who come up with content and trend ideas.
The changes come amid backlash to how the platform has historically treated its Black and other users of color. For example, last year, the app came under fire after it introduced a "sensitive content" filter that appeared to negatively affect Black users.
Instagram and its parent company, Meta, have also had to navigate backlash over updates to the app. In recent weeks, content creators have expressed their frustration over Instagram's increased size of photos and videos, which have the intended effect of making the app a “full-screen” experience, like TikTok. Some have even threatened to leave the app over the change.
Mosseri said Tuesday that the changes were a "test," but he acknowledged that Instagram was shifting toward becoming a more video-friendly platform.
