Meta users complain of auto-following Donald Trump or JD Vance
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After President Donald Trump was inaugurated this week, several Facebook and Instagram users were taken aback to see that they were automatically following the accounts of Mr Trump, Vice President JD Vance and First Lady Melania Trump. The followers for both accounts rapidly increased after Mr Trump acquired the @POTUS Instagram handle and Mr Vance was assigned the @VP handle. Many people have complained on social media that they never followed the politicians in the first place.
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This came after Meta announced it has been modifying its platforms. Earlier this month, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms said Community Notes would replace its third-party fact-checking program. This aims to lessen claims of bias in content monitoring and to support free expression.
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But what’s the latest furore all about?. Instagram and Facebook users raised concerns on X (formerly Twitter) about their fears that Meta had made it compulsory to follow the above accounts without being able to do otherwise. One user wrote: “This is shady. Yesterday Facebook changed my account to follow President Trump, VP Vance, and the White House without my permission. They just auto subscribed me.”.
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Another user added: “Check your following list on your socials cause Insta &Facebook (& I'm sure Twitter will at some point) is randomly making people follow that evil orange man, his VP, &his wife without you realizing it. Stay safe &check. This is SO sketchy/disgusting. “Land of the free" my A**”.
