Is Meta Limiting the Political Content You Actually Want to See?
By Movieguide® Contributor
Millions of Instagram and Threads users have stopped seeing political content on their feeds as problems with a new setting have limited the reach of that content, even among those who want to see it.
Heading into this year’s election cycle, Meta announced it would be taking a step back from the space after facing criticism in the past for the role its platforms have played in the spread of misinformation. The company made good on its word in March when it introduced a new opt-out setting that restricted users from seeing political content from users they don’t follow.
However, this setting has proven controversial as it was on by default without notifying users of the change when Meta first introduced the feature. Furthermore, the setting would reset to its default state when users closed the app, further disrupting the reach of all political content.
While the company has since admitted the mistake of the setting turning back on when opening the app, it remains proud of its decision to limit its involvement in this year’s election.
This decision will likely have a profound impact on the trajectory of the election, as the strategy of both parties in the last 15 years has largely centered around digital marketing. Obama’s win in 2008 was arguably the first campaign to capitalize on the reach of the internet, connecting with millions through email.
Since then, the strategy has largely shifted to social media, where candidates have shared their views and interacted with the public at a scale never before seen. While this has allowed candidates to reach more Americans, it has also led to the spread of misinformation introduced to the public by bad actors looking to influence the election.
It has also placed incredible power in the hands of tech giants who can censor those with opinions they disagree with. This typically impacts those who voice conservative opinions as their traditional views butt heads with the often liberal-leaning tech companies.
Nonetheless, Meta’s decision to take a step back from politics will force campaigns to shift their strategies again as they search for new ways to leverage the reach of technology to communicate with the American public.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Pew Research has released a study that examines how social media and politics collide.
“X stands out as a place people turn to for politics. A majority of X users (59%) say keeping up with politics or political issues is a reason they use it, compared with 36% of TikTok users and even smaller shares of Facebook or Instagram users (26% each),” Pew reported in a recent survey.
Users visit TikTok, however, for other reasons.
Ninety-five percent of TikTok users admitted they use the app for entertainment alone. As far as Facebook and Instagram, people reported connection with friends and family as their motivating factor.
Regardless of people’s reasons for visiting the apps, politics plays a major role on any social media platform, especially due to this year’s upcoming election.
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