Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has recently introduced a new setting that allows users to limit the recommendations of “political content” in their feeds. This decision comes after Meta’s executives expressed their reluctance to promote political posts on their platforms. However, the implementation of this setting has raised questions about user choice and the company’s approach to curating content.
Understanding the New Setting
The opt-out setting to limit political content can be found in the “Content preferences” section of Instagram’s account settings. By default, the setting is enabled to “Limit political content from people you don’t follow.” This setting applies not only to Instagram but also to Threads, as both apps share the same account system. Meta has portrayed this new setting as a way to give users more control over the type of content they see on their feeds.
According to Meta spokesperson Andy Stone, the decision to introduce this setting was driven by a belief that most users do not want to see political content in their feeds. This sentiment was echoed by Instagram boss Adam Mosseri, who highlighted the company’s reluctance to engage with politics and hard news. Mosseri emphasized that while these topics are important, the potential negative consequences outweigh any benefits in terms of engagement or revenue.
By limiting the reach of political content, Meta is aiming to reduce the scrutiny and negativity associated with surfacing such content. The company defines political content as posts related to “governments,” “elections,” and “social topics,” which leaves room for interpretation. This move raises concerns about censorship and the potential impact on users’ access to diverse viewpoints and information.
Meta’s decision to introduce a setting to limit political content on Instagram and Threads reflects the company’s efforts to prioritize user choice and minimize the risks associated with engaging in political discourse. However, the implementation of this setting may raise questions about censorship and the impact on the diversity of content available to users. It remains to be seen how users will respond to this change and whether it will ultimately shape their social media experience.
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