What specific shifts would occur in the revenue structures of social media firms if widespread rejection of algorithmic curation happened?
If users ditched algorithmic feeds, the primary engine driving modern ad revenue would stall. Currently, companies like Meta or ByteDance rely on hyper-targeted micro-targeting. Algorithms predict your next click with high precision. This predictability allows them to sell high-margin, specific ad placements to retailers. Without these predictive models, the efficiency of their programmatic advertising drops. Advertisers would pay less for less relevant impressions.
Revenue streams would likely pivot toward different architectures. We might see a return to chronological, subscription-based models. If organic reach dies because users only follow selected accounts, companies must find new ways to keep people engaged. They might implement
