Meta, the parent company of Threads and Instagram, has announced that users of these platforms will no longer have the option to avoid seeing political content from accounts they don’t follow. This change is part of the company’s new focus on “free expression,” which also led them to remove fact-checkers from their platforms.
This update will first roll out in the United States this week and will be available globally the following week. Users will not be able to completely turn off political posts but will have three options to choose from: seeing less political content, seeing a standard amount, or seeing more.
Adam Mosseri, the head of Threads and Instagram, had previously expressed his dislike for news and political content. However, he now claims that users have requested to see more political posts. On the other hand, Drew Benvie, who runs a social media consulting firm, doubts this claim. He suggests that the real reason for this change may be influenced by the current political climate in the U.S., especially with Donald Trump returning to a prominent political position.
Benvie pointed out that Threads and Instagram were generally seen as more peaceful and safer compared to other platforms like X (formerly Twitter), which has been experiencing a lot of turbulence. He warned that these changes could push users toward other platforms, like Bluesky, and raised concerns about the potential consequences for those who continue to use Meta’s services. He emphasized that this shift could lead to a rapid spread of misinformation to a vast audience of over 2 billion users.
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In 2023, Mosseri had stated that Threads and Instagram should concentrate on fostering positive communities centered around topics like sports, music, and fashion. He believed that any additional engagement or revenue gained from political content was not worth the negative attention and potential risks to integrity. However, he recently explained that it had become difficult to define what constitutes political content and that users were actually asking for more visibility of such posts.
Mosseri noted that Instagram, which Meta bought for $1 billion in 2012, was built on the principles of creativity and giving everyone a voice. He expressed hope that this new emphasis on free speech would help the platform improve in that regard.
The changes have drawn significant criticism, with many raising concerns about their impact on minority groups. Users on Threads and Instagram have expressed disappointment over the updates, with some stating that they plan to delete the Threads app altogether. Others on Instagram have reacted more positively, viewing the changes as a step towards greater freedom on the platform. However, many users are also worried about how increasing recommendations for political and social content might lead to more misinformation and hate speech.
Brooke Erin Duffy, a communication professor at Cornell University, highlighted that the new content moderation policies could create “winners and losers.” She warned that marginalized creators, including women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, might face greater risks and fewer protections. At the same time, there could be an increase in content from far-right or extreme influencers due to the relaxed rules around hate speech.
