Instinct faces user backlash over new unsolicited product recommendation feature
The app Instinct has introduced a new feature that provides human-curated product and travel recommendations to its users. The update has received negative feedback from some users who find the unsolicited suggestions intrusive.
Instinct, a digital platform, has begun rolling out a new feature designed to provide users with human-curated recommendations for various products and travel destinations. The company intends for these suggestions to serve as a discovery tool for its user base. However, the implementation of this feature has encountered resistance from a segment of the community.
Reports indicate that users are expressing dissatisfaction with the unsolicited nature of these recommendations. Some users have characterized the experience as intrusive, with the term "the ick" being used in social discourse to describe the negative reaction to receiving suggestions that were not requested. While the company frames the update as a value-add for discovery, the current user response suggests a disconnect between the platform's intent and user expectations regarding personalized content and privacy boundaries. As of now, it remains unclear whether Instinct plans to offer an opt-out mechanism or adjust the frequency of these notifications in response to the criticism.
📡 Media Analysis
How each outlet framed the story — angles, word choices, and what they chose to push or ignore.
Highlighted the negative user reception to a new feature rollout.
"giving some users the ick"
⚡ Where Sources Disagree
- ·Whether the recommendations are seen as a helpful discovery tool or an intrusive marketing tactic.
🔍 What Nobody's Reporting
- ·Lack of official comment or statement from Instinct regarding the user feedback.
- ·No information on whether the feature can be disabled by the user.
📰 Sources
0 A-rated source(s) among 1 total. Lowest trust: TechCrunch (B)