Meta set to start showing political recommendations on Instagram, and Threads

Meta

Social media giant Meta has made another significant change to its content policies, announcing that Instagram and Threads will soon begin recommending political content to users. This is a reversal from the policy the two platforms adopted last year, which made political content only available from accounts followed by users. Earlier this week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also shared a video talking about taking his platforms back to their roots and appreciating free speech.

After Zuckerberg’s revelations, Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, shared a new video on Instagram mentioning that Meta Platform users are now asking for more political recommendations on their feeds, especially over on Threads, which is why they deem this change necessary. He also shared a series of Threads mentioning, “Our intention is to introduce political recommendations in a responsible and personalized way, which means more for people who want this content and less for those who do not”.

This update is part of a broader series of adjustments Meta has been making to its social media platforms. These changes are designed to align Meta more closely with the political climate, especially in countries like the United States, where interest is followed globally. Previously, users had to opt in to view recommendations for political content, especially from followed accounts.

The updated policy will be implemented gradually, starting in the US. With these changes, Meta aims to provide users with more control over their feeds, as these policy shifts could have wide-reaching consequences for the digital landscape.