As of: February 12, 2024, 4:27 p.m
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Meta announces it will reduce algorithmic distribution of political content on Instagram and Threads to improve focus and user experience.
In a recent announcement, Meta, the company behind popular social networks Instagram and Threads, has decided to throttle the distribution of political content on its platforms.
This move aims to limit algorithmic promotion of posts about laws, elections or social issues in order to improve user experience on these platforms.
Meta announces it will reduce algorithmic distribution of political content on Instagram and Threads to improve focus and user experience.
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© IMAGO/Felix Schlikis
How does this affect users?
According to Meta, this change will mean that posts with political content will no longer appear in the algorithmically generated lists.
However, users who follow specific accounts will still see the content they want.
For those who want to actively inform themselves about political topics from unfollowed accounts, manual adjustment of the settings is necessary.
Measures for professional Instagram users
Professional users on Instagram in particular have the opportunity to check their account status to see whether their content falls under the new regulation.
Meta also offers the option to object to this assessment or to delete or edit affected posts.
Taking a break from political posts may also result in the posts being considered for recommendations again.
Reactions to the changes
The announcement was particularly discussed in the context of the Threads platform, which was positioned as an alternative to Twitter (now X).
Although Threads has attracted many users, it was clear from the start that political content and hard news should play a smaller role there.
This strategy was communicated early on by Adam Mosseri, the head of Threads, and is now being further supported by technical adjustments.
Critical voices primarily comment on Meta's vague wording and the potential impact on the visibility of important topics, especially in election years.
The Washington Post quotes users who fear that these changes could limit the reach of their messages and devalue the effort they have put into their accounts.
Most recently, Meta also introduced AI content labeling on its platforms.