The transfer of power in the US has brought about some unexpected changes for Facebook and Instagram users. Many found themselves automatically following the official accounts of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance after the inauguration, according to a report by Associated Press. However, this wasn’t a glitch, but rather a deliberate design. According to Meta spokesman Andy Stone, the official POTUS and White House accounts are managed by the White House and update when the administration changes.
This means that followers of the previous administration’s accounts are transferred to the new ones. As of Tuesday, Joe Biden’s archived POTUS account had 11 million followers on Facebook, matching Trump’s official POTUS account. Users can easily unfollow these accounts by clicking the ellipsis on the profile page and selecting “unfollow” or “block.”
Meanwhile, Instagram users have been experiencing a strange issue when searching for hashtags related to the Democratic Party. Typing “#Democrat” or “#Democrats” yields a “results hidden” message, sparking accusations of political bias. However, Meta insists that this is a technical problem affecting multiple hashtags, including some related to the Republican Party.
Facebook’s communications director, Andy Stone, acknowledged the issue and explained that the problem is not limited to left-leaning hashtags. He posted on Threads saying, it’s “an issue affecting people’s ability to search for a number of different hashtags on Instagram — not just those on the left.”
However, some users have reported limited results when searching for “Republicans” as opposed to “Republican.” The company is working to resolve the issue urgently.
The controversy comes amid a notable shift in Mark Zuckerberg’s relationship with President Trump. Zuckerberg attended Trump’s inauguration and has announced plans to end Meta’s partnerships with independent fact-checkers, citing “too much censorship” and saying, “It’s time to get back to our roots around free expression.” This move has raised concerns about the spread of misinformation on Meta’s platforms.
Additionally, Zuckerberg has revealed plans to kill Meta’s diversity initiatives, aligning with Trump’s plans to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The Meta CEO has also assembled a new leadership team, including Joel Kaplan, who has ties to the Republican Party. These changes have sparked concerns about Meta’s commitment to diversity and fact-based information.