Meta pulls Muse ad on Instagram unsubscribers

Meta has removed a Muse advertisement suggesting that it was possible to see who has unsubscribed from Instagram each week. This incident reignites the debate over Instagram's policy, which refuses this feature to preserve user experience, and clarifies what Muse actually allows.

Instagram maintains its refusal to list unsubscriptions

Instagram does not include a native function to know who has unsubscribed. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, has repeatedly explained that the platform wants users to feel free to unsubscribe from accounts that no longer interest them. Instagram believes that such a feature could affect users' feelings, particularly younger ones, and harm the overall experience, which could lead to reduced app usage. This stance has been maintained despite persistent requests from many users since Instagram's launch. More broadly, Instagram and Facebook dismiss certain features deemed harmful to the health of their social networks. This approach is at odds with Muse, another Meta product, and more generally with AI agents, which are designed to help accomplish tasks efficiently, while social networks aim to capture users' attention.

The advertisement mentioning unsubscription tracking has been removed

Meta has removed a Muse advertisement that claimed to allow users to see who has unsubscribed from Instagram, highlighting weekly tracking. This announcement, flagged about a week earlier by Rachel Karten, who writes the Link in Bio newsletter, featured a blurry mascot holding red and green signs. According to a Meta spokesperson, the advertisement has been deleted and is no longer in the company's ad library. Furthermore, Meta did not mention this feature in its general communication regarding Muse.

What Muse really does and what third parties offer

Muse, Meta's AI agent, can organize the inbox, book trips, or order lunch. Regarding Instagram, Muse can track subscription lists from the moment tracking begins, but it is not possible to retroactively know who has unsubscribed previously. There are third-party services capable of tracking unsubscriptions, but they often require access to users' credentials, which is not recommended.