In a money-grabbing move, the amount of ads on Instagram was doubled by Facebook executives. It’s another choice by the company that demonstrates its resolve to institute increasing control over Instagram.

Tension between Instagram and Facebook

Relations between Instagram and Facebook have been strained for some time. Instagram’s founders suddenly resigned last year due to tension over control of the app, and Facebook has continued to make questionable decisions for the app, including a recent motion to change its name to “Instagram from Facebook.”

Desire to maximize ad revenue

Concerned that Instagram might soon surpass Facebook in popularity, Facebook is anxious to maximize ad revenue from the app. In June, ads were added to the explore section. Experiments with in-app shopping features are also being conducted.

With all the scandals surrounding Facebook, it would seem wiser to disguise, rather than emphasize, the fact that it owns Instagram. Instead Facebook is making Instagram more and more similar to itself in both the manner it’s run and the number of ads on the platform. If this trend continues, it’s only a matter of time before the cool kids flee to a new social media platform.