Meta Asserts Users Aren’t Compelled to Follow Trump on Instagram and Facebook
Meta, the parent organization of Facebook and Instagram, has refuted allegations that its platforms coerced users into following the accounts of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Numerous users expressed their frustrations that their accounts automatically followed Trump and Vance following their inauguration.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Meta assured users that it does not mandate these follows or manipulate their accounts.
Stone explained that when a new administration takes over, the official White House social media accounts transition to the incoming president and vice president.
“These accounts are operated by the White House, so with a change in administration, the content on those Pages evolves. This protocol was also applied during the previous presidential transition. It might take some time for follow and unfollow requests to process as these accounts transfer ownership,” Stone elaborated.
Nonetheless, despite Meta’s clarifications, skepticism among users persisted.
In reply to Stone’s remarks, some users noted that they unfollowed the accounts only to find themselves automatically following them again shortly thereafter. Others reported attempts to block the accounts, which were automatically undone.
Earlier this week, users also voiced their concerns that searching for political terms like “Democrats” led to a message stating that “we’ve hidden these results.” Stone responded by indicating that the issue was not limited to just one political party and affirmed that Meta is addressing the problem.
Just over two weeks ago, Meta abandoned its fact-checking program, replacing it with a “Community Notes” system akin to that employed by Elon Musk’s social media platform X.
“It’s time to return to our foundation surrounding free expression on Facebook and Instagram,” Zuckerberg stated in a video released on January 7, unveiling the significant changes.
In recent months, Zuckerberg has strengthened ties with the 47th president. The Meta CEO has met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and attended his inauguration. The company also contributed $1 million to the president’s inaugural fund.
From NTD News