A New Era of Social Media: Users Now Control the Algorithms

For years, social media giants have determined what users should see through their closed algorithms. Although we had the ability to like or hide certain posts, the overall content flow in the feed was at the platform's discretion. However, recent trends show that social networks are handing over some of their control to users. With the help of AI, everyone will now be able to personally "train" their own algorithm. This is reported by Techcrunch.com news provides.

This change represents an evolutionary development of recommendation systems. Social networks are becoming less like traditional television, which shows the same programs to everyone, and more like streaming services where the user adjusts content according to their interests. This allows users to receive only the information they are interested in, while platforms can increase engagement.

Threads and Instagram: New Ways to Manage the Algorithm

Threads, owned by Meta, has taken a significant step in this regard. On July 16, 2026, the platform launched a new feature called "Your Algo". This tool is a logical continuation of the "Dear Algo" system introduced in February. Previously, users tried to influence the system by writing open posts such as "Dear Algo, show me more information about podcasts," but now this can be done through personal settings.

Through the "Your Algo" feature, users can privately specify which topics they want to see more or less of. The most interesting part is that the duration of this request can also be selected: one, three, or seven days. For example, it is now possible to see only sports news on weekends and temporarily restrict political or stressful news.

Instagram is not lagging behind. In early June, the platform introduced a single algorithm control tool for the entire feed, Explore, and Reels sections. This system, tested only for Reels in December 2025, is now open to all users. Through the "Your Algorithm" menu in the settings section, you can see what Instagram thinks you are interested in.

Using this tool, it is possible to delete interests that were incorrectly analyzed by the system or add new ones. This makes the social media experience higher quality and more useful. Additionally, other major platforms like TikTok are implementing tools that allow users to reset their recommendations from scratch.

In conclusion, social networks aim to keep users on the platform longer by giving them more freedom. These changes are also very important for users in Uzbekistan, as it will now be easier to filter unnecessary and advertising-oriented content in the feed using AI.