Meta’s New Approach to Political Content: A Shift Toward Personalization
Meta recently unveiled a major overhaul of its content moderation policies, acknowledging that its previous method of handling political content had been “pretty blunt.” The company plans to gradually reintroduce political content on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. This change comes after Meta significantly reduced such content in response to user feedback since 2021, as users expressed a preference for less political material in their feeds.
- Meta reduced political content on its apps since 2021 based on user feedback.
- In early 2024, Meta ceased proactive recommendations for political content on Instagram and Threads during a critical U.S. election year.
- This decision led to backlash from both users and creators.
“Meta’s approach to political content needs to be opt-in, giving users the choice rather than imposing defaults,” creators argued in an open letter.
Creators’ Open Letter
This move was met with criticism, particularly from creators who felt the restrictions were too broad. Instagram’s definition of political content—encompassing laws, elections, and social topics—raised concerns about limiting discussions on vital issues like climate change and reproductive rights. Creators worried this would impact their reach and income potential by hindering audience growth.
Despite these limitations, the demand for political discourse remained strong, especially on Threads where such topics often dominated trends. Meta has now committed to a “more personalized approach” to address this demand. Users will see civic content from people and Pages they follow ranked similarly to other feed content. This means considering explicit signals like likes and views to determine visibility.
- Meta will treat civic content from followed sources akin to other feed posts.
- Recommendations will be based on personalized signals.
- Users will gain more control over how much political content they see.
The company plans to introduce controls that users can toggle within their settings, allowing more tailored experiences. However, details about when and where these features will be available remain unclear. By implementing these changes, Meta aims to better balance user preferences with the ongoing demand for political discussions across its platforms.
