The recent transfer of power in the United States has resulted in unexpected changes for users of Facebook and Instagram, as many found themselves automatically following the official accounts of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance following their inauguration. This development, initially perceived as a glitch, has been confirmed by Meta spokesman Andy Stone as a deliberate design feature of the platform.
Automatic follows explained
According to Meta spokesman Andy Stone, the official POTUS and White House accounts are managed by the White House and update when the administration changes.
This means that followers of the previous administration’s accounts are transferred to the new ones. As of Tuesday, Joe Biden’s archived POTUS account had 11 million followers on Facebook, matching Trump’s official POTUS account. Users can easily unfollow these accounts by clicking the ellipsis on the profile page and selecting “unfollow” or “block.”
Hashtag controversy on Instagram
In addition to the automatic follows Instagram users have reported encountering issues when searching for hashtags related to the Democratic Party. Searches for “#Democrat” or “#Democrats” returned a “results hidden” message, leading to accusations of political bias against Meta. However, Stone clarified that this issue is not limited to left-leaning hashtags and affects various terms across both political spectrums.
He stated on Threads that this is “an issue affecting people’s ability to search for a number of different hashtags on Instagram—not just those on the left.” Some users have noted limited results when searching for “Republicans,” further complicating the narrative surrounding potential bias.
Zuckerberg’s shift in policy
This controversy coincides with a notable shift in Mark Zuckerberg’s relationship with Trump. Following the inauguration, Zuckerberg announced plans to end Meta’s partnerships with independent fact-checkers, citing concerns over “too much censorship.” He remarked, “It’s time to get back to our roots around free expression.” This decision has raised alarms about the potential spread of misinformation across Meta’s platforms.
Furthermore, Zuckerberg unveiled plans to dismantle Meta’s diversity initiatives, aligning with Trump’s agenda to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The CEO has also assembled a new leadership team featuring Joel Kaplan, who has connections to the Republican Party. These changes have sparked significant concern regarding Meta’s commitment to diversity and factual accuracy.
As users navigate these shifts in social media dynamics amidst a changing political landscape, it remains to be seen how these developments will influence public discourse and engagement on platforms that have become integral to modern communication.
