Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has reignited debate over Instagram after describing the Meta-owned social media platform as being “for girls.”
Musk made the comment on October 1, 2026, while responding to a post by Geiger Capital, a venture capital firm that announced it had deleted its Instagram account.
Geiger Capital wrote: “Officially deleted Instagram. An inherently female app. Zero benefit.”
Musk replied: “Instagram is for girls.”
The comment quickly attracted reactions on X, with users debating whether Instagram should be associated with a particular gender and challenging Musk’s characterization of the platform.
Musk’s latest remark echoes a similar comment he made in May while discussing social media use.
On May 15, he wrote, “Lmao. Instagram is for girls,” before commenting on men who share their Instagram profiles with him.
“Sometimes grown men send me their Instagram profiles and I’m like are you transitioning or what?” Musk wrote at the time.
The remarks drew criticism from some social media users, who accused the billionaire of reinforcing gender stereotypes and making offensive comments about men who use Instagram. Others defended his comments or responded with humour.
His latest post, however, did not repeat the earlier reference to gender transition. It came directly in response to Geiger Capital’s description of Instagram as an “inherently female app.”
Musk has previously criticized Meta-owned platforms while promoting X, the social media platform he owns. His relationship with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also been marked by public rivalry, including disagreements surrounding their respective social media platforms.
The latest comments have once again sparked discussion about gender and social media use, with users pointing out that Instagram has a broad audience across different genders.
Musk did not provide evidence or further explanation for his claim that Instagram is a platform “for girls.”
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