I don't think it's that sinister. Time based sorting is a bad day 1 feature since nobody has much of a follow graph yet. Forcing the algorithm is a good way to make sure your feed feels "full" even if you're starting from zero. I don't like the algorithm either, it's full of brands and spammy meme pages that lifted their content over from IG. But in terms of cold-starting a social graph, I get it. Plus they already said they're going to add a chrono feed soon.
I second the previous user, any lack of time-based sorting means I'm gonna waste a lot of time (which is what Meta wants). Been there with other socials, done that, not interested.
