Since the start of Donald Trump’s second term, users have been complaining that they have suddenly been automatically following the new president and vice president, JD Vance.
Unfollowing these accounts is not always possible, which has made users concerned.
Millions of people are said to have suddenly followed the accounts of the president and vice president without choosing to do so. What makes the situation even stranger is that many have tried to unfollow them several times without success. Singer Demi Lovato complained online that it happened to her, but other non-famous Americans are also expressing their displeasure about the situation.
However, the explanation for this strange situation is quite apparent. Due to the change of power, the official Potus and VP accounts of former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are archived under a different username (Potus46archive and VP46archive).
At the same time, the official accounts of the president and vice president are now filled with posts from the new state leaders. Those who followed the previous president or vice president in the past are now following their successors. A spokesperson for Meta also confirmed this on Threads. The White House manages the accounts and is adapted when there is a new resident, which has also happened with previous government changes.
Technical problem
That these accounts cannot be unfollowed is a mistake on Meta’s part. The company states that problems have arisen because many people wanted to unfollow the accounts simultaneously. The company is working on a solution.
Many saw Meta’s sudden following of Trump and Vance as a deliberate choice, which is not illogical at the same time. Meta kept itself politically aloof during this election until Trump was elected. Four years ago, the company even closed Trump’s account because he violated the rules several times, although it was later reinstated.
Since then, the company has given him financial backing, replaced its top policy chief with a Trump supporter and halted fact-checking in the US in a move widely seen as an attempt to appease Republicans. Other big tech players are also trying to stay in Trump’s good graces, knowing they could face headwinds or stricter regulations if they don’t.
But despite that notable U-turn, Meta’s automatic following of Facebook and Instagram accounts is not a deliberate act or a request from Trump. It’s simply how the official accounts are passed on, which, combined with Meta’s technical issues, is causing much confusion.
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