When Social Media Actually Felt Social
As someone born in 2001, I have known Instagram as long as I have been online. I was what you could call a “late” internet bloomer. I didn’t get my first phone until I was 13, and my mom insisted it be a flip phone (for the authentic experience). I was having major FOMO; everyone knew I was online. Once I got a smartphone, I immediately made accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and just about anything else I could get my hands on.
Growing up, I moved around a lot, a new school just about every two years. (Even into adulthood, as I moved across the world from the USA to the Netherlands just a few years ago.) Therefore, when I got onto Instagram, a world was opened to me. There, I found all my friends from past schools, people I thought I lost contact with for good. Of course, when I joined Instagram, DMs were only something we could only dream of, but we were connected nonetheless.
When I was in high school (15-17 years old), I spent most of my time on Instagram. I was connected with people across the world: a girl named Maggie somewhere in Tennessee, another girl, Melkah, from Indonesia, and my best friend, Lydia, who had moved away to pre-college. We were always on each other’s timelines and interacting on each other’s posts. Something about the friendships I had online, however, was that they mostly stayed out of the DMs; we communicated only through engaging and commenting on each other’s posts.
At some point, when I was 17, Instagram was different. It wasn’t a place I wanted to be in as much. I wasn’t seeing any of my friends online anymore; had they logged out for good? I checked in with them, and they were still there, but why couldn’t I see their posts? Months went by, and after a while without seeing their content, we fell off. Not only my two great online friends, but my friends from primary school, my cousins from out of state, and so many more.
From Chronological to Algorithmic
In 2016, Instagram switched to an algorithmic feed. Since the beginning, Instagram used a chronological feed for posts, which makes sense for a social media channel. You want to see what’s recent and in the now. But the switch to an algorithmic feed made it so you could see a post from one month ago, 20 minutes ago, and posts from people you don’t even follow in an attempt to show you what they “think” you like.
Naturally, there was a ton of backlash. From content creators whose engagement had significant dips, to people like me who weren’t seeing their friends’ posts on their timelines anymore.
“With this new ordering you won’t miss your favorite band’s video after the concert, even if it took place across the world in a different time zone. And no matter how many accounts you follow, you should see your best friend’s latest posts.” This is a quote from Instagram regarding the change, it was obviously a bold statement considering the backlash they received from the change.
Meta (owner of Facebook and Instagram) naturally made this change with its and its advertisers’ benefit in mind, not the user, even though it was presented in a way that you’d imagine was for user experience. But the backlash they received said otherwise. People have been pleading for years for a switch back to chronological order feed, and we got it, but only in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands Pushes Back Against Meta
In 2025, Dutch digital rights organization Bits of Freedom brought a case against Meta, arguing that the way Instagram and Facebook handle their timelines violates the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Although both platforms technically offered a chronological feed, the option was hidden and automatically reset back to an algorithmic feed whenever the app was reopened. Bits of Freedom argued that this design undermined users’ ability to make a real choice about how information appears in their feed.
In October 2025, the Amsterdam District Court ruled in favor of Bits of Freedom, ordering Meta to make it easier for users in the Netherlands to choose a non-profiled chronological timeline and to ensure that the preference remains permanent once selected. Meta later appealed the decision, but in March 2026 the Dutch appeals court upheld the ruling, meaning the choice between an algorithmic feed and a chronological timeline remains available for Dutch users.
How to Switch Back to a Chronological Timeline
This currently is only available in the Netherlands
- Enter Instagram
- Check the top of your feed where it says For You
- You should be able to click on For You
- Click Following in the drop down menu
- Open the Facebook app
- Click the logo in the top left corner
- A drop down should appear, select following instead of for you
Other Organizations Pushing for a More Open Internet
Bits of Freedom is not the only organization pushing back against big tech and fighting for digital freedom. While they are making big strides in the Netherlands, there are other notable organizations doing amazing things as well. Across Europe and the United States, several organizations are working on similar issues, from algorithm transparency to online privacy and platform accountability.
One of the largest networks is the European Digital Rights initiative. This organization brings together more than forty digital rights groups across Europe to advocate for stronger protections around privacy, artificial intelligence, and platform regulation. Much of their current work focuses on how the Digital Services Act is enforced across the European Union, ensuring that large platforms are transparent about how their algorithms shape what users see online.
In the United States, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has spent decades defending civil liberties in the digital world. Their work spans court cases, policy advocacy, and the development of privacy tools that help users protect themselves online. One of their best known projects is Privacy Badger, a browser extension that blocks invisible tracking scripts used by advertisers and data brokers to monitor people across the web.
Another global organization working in this space is Access Now. Their KeepItOn campaign focuses on protecting one of the most basic forms of digital freedom: access to the internet itself. Governments around the world sometimes shut down internet access during protests, elections, or political crises. The KeepItOn coalition documents these shutdowns and advocates for policies that protect people’s ability to communicate and access information online.
How You Can Support Digital Freedom
The internet we experience today is not inevitable, and it is certainly not immovable. The platforms we use, the timelines we scroll, and the data we share are all shaped by decisions made by companies, regulators, and the people who push back when something isn’t right.
The case here in the Netherlands shows that change is possible. Bits of Freedom, a non-profit organization, pushed against a platform worth billions of dollars and made a huge step in digital freedom for Dutch users.
While you as an individual will not file a lawsuit against big tech, there are ways you can support a healthier, free, and open internet.
One way is by supporting organizations working on digital rights. Groups like Bits of Freedom, European Digital Rights, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Access Now rely heavily on public support and awareness to continue their work.
Another step is becoming more aware of how the platforms we use shape what we see. Algorithmic feeds are designed to maximize engagement, not necessarily to show the people and information we care about most. Many platforms now offer ways to switch to chronological feeds or limit recommendations, and using those features can help reclaim some control over your online experience.
You can also explore alternative platforms that prioritize user control and transparency. Decentralized social networks and open source platforms, like Mastodon (while you’re there, give us a follow xD), are experimenting with new ways of organizing online communities without relying on opaque recommendation systems.
And finally, talk about it. Conversations about digital freedom often stay within policy circles and technology communities, but the reality is that these decisions affect everyone who uses the internet.
The more people understand how platforms shape what we see and how our data is used, the harder it becomes for those systems to operate without accountability.
The internet began as a space built around openness, connection, and collaboration. Keeping it that way requires people who care enough to question how it works and advocate for something better.
The return of a chronological timeline option in the Netherlands may seem like a small change, but it highlights something important: the systems shaping our online experience are not fixed. Platforms make decisions about algorithms, feeds, and data collection, and those decisions can be challenged. Efforts by organizations like Bits of Freedom show that users do not have to accept every change made by large tech companies. A more open and user controlled internet is possible, but it requires continued awareness, advocacy, and people who care enough to question how the digital platforms we rely on actually work.
