Meta’s Rethink: A New Approach to Political Content on Social Media Platforms
Meta is reshaping its content moderation policies, acknowledging that its previous approach to political content was rather “blunt”. The tech giant aims to reintroduce political content on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, catering to those who wish to see more of it in their feeds. Since 2021, Meta has reduced the amount of political content in response to user feedback, but this strategy faced criticism, especially during a pivotal election year.
- Users and creators voiced concerns about the limitations on political content.
- An open letter from hundreds of creators suggested making these limitations optional.
- Creators were worried about how Meta defines political content and its impact on their reach and income.
“Creators argued the decision should be opt-in. The concern was about defining political content too broadly, affecting discussions on issues like climate change and reproductive rights.”
{Creators’ Open Letter, April 2023}
Users felt suppressed by the changes in how political content was displayed, a sentiment exacerbated by a bug that reset user settings, limiting exposure to political posts. Despite these issues, demand for political discourse remains high, particularly on Threads.
To address this demand, Meta plans a “more personalized approach” to political content. This involves treating civic content from followed accounts like any other feed post, using engagement signals like likes and views to determine visibility.
- Meta will recommend more political content based on personalized signals.
- Users will have expanded options to control the amount of political content they see.
- The timeline for these new controls remains unclear.
“We aim to provide users with specific controls within their settings for a tailored experience.”
{Meta’s Official Blog Post}
Through these changes, Meta hopes to balance user engagement with personalized control over political discourse in social media feeds, ensuring a more inclusive platform for diverse conversations.
