Meta has announced that it will reduce the number of political posts users see on Instagram. In a statement published on Friday on their blog, the social media giant announced that it will no longer “actively recommend” political content from accounts that users do not follow. This policy also applies to Threads, Meta’s response to Twitter, which was launched last summer.
“We want Instagram and Threads to be a great experience for everyone,” the blog statement reads. “If you choose to follow accounts that post political content, we don’t want to come between you and their posts, but we also don’t want to actively recommend political content from accounts you don’t follow.”
Meta defines “political content” as content that is “potentially related to rights, elections, or social issues.” It is clear that Meta sees politics as something that harms users on their platforms. The company wants to give users the choice of what political content they want to see. While this new policy currently applies to Instagram and Threads, the blog statement stated that the same control will be implemented for Facebook at a later date.
“Our goal is to maintain the ability for people to choose whether they want to engage with political content while also respecting their appetite for this type of content,” wrote Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, in a post on Threads.
This move is not entirely surprising, as Meta has been downplaying the significance of political content across all of its platforms for some time.
“People have told us they want to see less political content, so we’ve been refining our approach on Facebook over the past few years to reduce the amount of political content—including content from politicians—that you see in your News Feed, Reels, Watch, Groups You Should Join, and Pages You May Like,” the company explains on its Transparency Center page.
Professional users of Instagram and Threads can check if their posts qualify for recommendation through the Account Status setting. If Instagram has blocked someone’s posts from being recommended, users can edit or delete recent posts to regain eligibility or request a review if they disagree with Instagram’s decision.
This move has been met with wide criticism online.
“Most people are happy they won’t have to see political content, but it’s bad for spreading awareness about important issues. It’s a bad idea,” wrote a user on Twitter.
According to Twitter, “For all those saying ‘Hooray, no politics on my feed,’ you could already filter out content that you didn’t want to see and ask why Instagram can censor ‘political content’.”
“Interesting that you’re doing this now, and not, for example, after the scandal related to Cambridge Analytica,” wrote another user on Twitter.
“The decision to do this in a year with so many elections certainly means something,” commented another user.
Some internet users expressed their concern about this development.
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FAQ section based on the main topics and information presented in the article:
1. What kind of political posts will Meta reduce on Instagram?
Meta has announced that it will no longer “actively recommend” political content from accounts that users do not follow.
2. What is Threads?
Threads is Meta’s response to Twitter, an app designed to allow users to maintain private contact with their closest friends.
3. How does Meta define political content?
Meta defines political content as content that is “potentially related to rights, elections, or social issues.”
4. Will political posts still be visible to users who follow relevant accounts?
Yes, if you choose to follow accounts that post political content, there will be no interference from Meta, but political content will no longer be actively recommended to users who do not follow those accounts.
5. Does Meta plan to implement the same control for Facebook?
Yes, although the policy currently applies to Instagram and Threads, Meta plans to introduce the same control for Facebook at a later date.
6. What benefits does Meta foresee for users through the reduction of political content?
Meta foresees that reducing political content on Instagram and Threads will contribute to a better user experience on these platforms.
7. How can users of Instagram and Threads check if their posts qualify for recommendation?
Professional users can check if their posts qualify for recommendation by using the Account Status setting.
8. Has Meta received criticism for this decision?
Yes, Meta’s decision has been met with widespread criticism online. Some believe it is a bad idea that will hinder the spread of awareness about important issues.
9. Why are some internet users unhappy with this decision?
Some internet users are unhappy with this decision because they believe that limiting political content may impact information democracy and social awareness.
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The source of the article is from the blog regiozottegem.be