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Since she posted her meme five days ago, it has received more than 2.2 million likes. Her accompanying petition, which called for the app to “stop trying to be TikTok” and go back to an algorithm that favors photos, has received more than 226,000 signatures on Change.org.
Although Instagram has not addressed many of the demands Bruening included in her petition, the photographer said she said this response as a “great first step” and proof that the platform is listening to its users. She added that getting rid of the full-screen test was the right move because it would bring back a feed that “feels more like Instagram and more like our roots.”
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“I just want to stress that I am so happy to see our community come together, and I’m so happy that Instagram has communicated with us and that we’re going to see change moving forward. I think that we absolutely won all together at the end of the day,” Bruening said.
Update 7/28/2022, 4:49 p.m. ET: This post has been updated with additional comment from Bruening.