Instagram and Threads will no longer recommend political content

How will it work?

Users will continue to see political content on accounts they follow. However, the algorithms will no longer “proactively boost” such posts or show you recommended political posts from pages you don’t follow.

The changes, which will be rolled out “over the next few weeks,” will work across feeds across social networks as well as Instagram’s Reels and Explore sections.

Adam Mosseri did not specify exactly how the Meta would determine what is and what is not “political.” A representative from Meta said these will be election-related issues as well as social issues.

By our definition, political content is content that is likely to relate to government or election-related issues. For example, posts about laws, elections or social issues. These global issues are complex and dynamic; This means that this definition will evolve as we continue to engage with external experts, as well as the people and communities that use our platforms, to develop our approach.
– said the Meta representative.

While the company will limit political content by default, you can change the recommendations yourself in the settings. “Our goal is to respect everyone’s wishes while preserving everyone’s ability to choose how they engage with political content.”– said Mosseri.

Therefore, you should expect a separate item in the Settings section that will turn political themes on or off. Here’s what it will look like:

Interface of the new function / Photo Meta

Meta has long tried to prevent users from discussing topics it deems potentially problematic. In 2022, political content will make up just 3 percent of what U.S. users see in their feeds, Facebook said. The company tries to keep its social networks sanitized, blocking “potentially sensitive” topics and thus leaving users the opportunity to discuss only the positive aspects of their lives. At the same time, developers also complain about the decrease in viewer activity in recent years.