Meta, the tech company behind social platforms Facebook and Instagram, has responded to reports of users feeling forced to follow the new official accounts linked to Donald Trump and his administration. Following Trump's inauguration on Monday, some users voiced frustrations about being "automatically" following the president, Vice President JD Vance, and First Lady Melania Trump.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone clarified that the accounts are managed by the White House, which had updated them for the new leaders. He stressed that this transition process is standard practice, identical to previous presidential transfers.
The official handles, such as Potus (President of the United States), VicePresident, and Flotus (First Lady of the United States), were initially tied to Joe and Jill Biden. Stone also noted that it could take time for changes in follow and unfollow requests to take effect.
Trump, now in his second presidential term, wasted no time in signing executive orders to push his agenda, which includes withdrawing from the World Health Organization and declaring a national emergency at the Mexico border. His inauguration garnered attention from prominent tech leaders, including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and X's Elon Musk.
Previously, Trump was banned from Meta in 2021 due to promoting violence during the Capitol riots, and he has been outspoken about perceived censorship, linking Meta's actions to political biases. Recently, Zuckerberg has been seen trying to mend ties with Trump, even dining with him and contributing to his inauguration. In line with easing censorship criticisms, Meta announced a shift away from third-party fact-checking starting this month.
