By NewsBlogger Meta faces criticism for reducing political content on its platforms, but users can still view political posts from accounts they follow and disable this control in the app settings.
At a glance
- Meta is facing criticism for reducing political content on platforms.
- Users can still view political posts from accounts they follow.
- Publishers are concerned about the impact on trustworthy political coverage.
- The importance of political coverage for public understanding is emphasized.
- Debate highlights the balance between user preferences and freedom of information.
The details
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is being criticized for allegedly reducing the amount of political content recommended to users on its platforms, including Instagram and Threads.
Despite this policy, users still have the option to view political posts from accounts they follow and can disable this control within each app’s settings.
Publishers have raised concerns that Meta’s approach could impact their ability to provide trustworthy political coverage to a wide audience.
Owen Meredith, the chief executive of the News Media Association
stressed the importance of political coverage by trusted journalistic outlets for public understanding and scrutiny of decisions made by politicians.
According to Ofcom’s news consumption report for 2023, 47% of UK adults use social media to access news.
In response to the backlash, Meta explained in a blog post that users have expressed a desire to see less political content, and the company aims to avoid recommending political content to those who do not wish to see it.
It is important to note that this policy does not affect content from accounts that users already follow.
Users have the option to disable this feature in a platform’s settings to ensure they can still access and engage with political content that is important to them.
The ongoing debate surrounding Meta’s policy
highlights the delicate balance between user preferences, freedom of information, and the role of social media platforms in shaping public discourse.
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| independent.co.uk |
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| – Meta has been accused of undermining democratic engagement by reducing the amount of political content recommended to users on its platforms – The policy extends to Instagram and Threads, not just Facebook – Users can still see political posts from accounts they follow – The control can be turned off within the settings of each app – Publishers are concerned that the approach could impact their ability to get trustworthy political coverage in front of a large audience – Owen Meredith, chief executive of the News Media Association, stated that coverage of politics by trusted journalistic outlets is critical for public understanding and scrutiny of decisions made by politicians – Ofcom’s news consumption report for 2023 shows that 47% of UK adults use social media to access news – Meta stated in a blog post that users have expressed a desire to see less political content – Meta aims to avoid recommending political content to those who do not wish to see it – The policy does not apply to content from accounts users already follow – Users can turn off the feature in a platform’s settings to preserve their ability to find and interact with political content that is meaningful to them |
