Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has announced updates aimed at giving social media users greater control over their feeds, particularly concerning political content. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, stated that these changes are designed to respect each user’s preferences regarding political content consumption.
The updates aim not only to filter political content appearing in feeds but also to empower users to engage with such content according to their own terms. While some users may actively seek out political content, others prefer to avoid it, and Meta’s updates are tailored to accommodate these varying interests.
For users who still wish to stay informed about governmental, electoral, or societal issues, the option remains available. By adjusting their settings, users can choose to maintain access to political content from public accounts in recommended sections like Explore and Reels. Importantly, this adjustment does not affect content from accounts users already follow, preserving the personalization of their social media feed.
This initiative is part of Meta’s broader strategy to distance its platforms from the contentious realms of news and politics. Given the minimal political content in U.S. users’ feeds and the platforms’ stance on not actively promoting political content due to its limited engagement and potential for negativity, these updates are timely. With another presidential election approaching, the balance between engagement and content quality becomes increasingly crucial.
Meta’s new policy also has implications for content creators, especially those who use social media platforms professionally. The introduction of the Account Status feature enables creators to check and contest recommendation eligibility, providing transparency and control over how political content may impact their visibility.
