Were users forced to follow Trump on social media? What we know about claims

Some Facebook and Instagram users were surprised to see President Donald Trump’s and Vice President JD Vance’s posts appearing in their feeds after the recent inauguration. 

However, this wasn’t a deliberate move by Meta to force follows but part of a long-standing transition process for official U.S. government accounts.

Why are Trump and Vance showing up in your social media feed?

The backstory:

The official @POTUS and @VicePresident accounts are government-managed and transferred to the new administration after each inauguration. Followers of these accounts are automatically carried over to ensure continuity.

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone explained, "The official White House accounts change when the occupant of the White House changes." After Trump’s inauguration, his team assumed control of these handles, while posts from the Biden administration were archived.

FILE - In this photo illustration, the profile page of the Instagram account of Donald Trump, President of the United States seen displayed on a smartphone.  (Photo Illustration by Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

This is a standard process, repeated during each transition of power. Users can unfollow or block accounts at any time.

Misconceptions and social media reactions

What they're saying:

The transition sparked frustration and confusion among some users, who thought they were forced to follow Trump and Vance. 

One user posted, "I didn’t follow these accounts, but now they’re in my feed!" 

"Wait did facebook auto follow all of the new admin for americans?? i did not follow any of these pages i barely even use facebook but they were all at the top of my feed, and when i clicked through it said i followed them??" another user wrote on X.

Others speculated this was a deliberate move to promote the new administration.

Former Meta policy director Katie Harbath debunked these claims, explaining that followers are transferred to reflect the institution, not individuals. Reports of difficulties unfollowing or blocking the accounts may be due to technical bugs or algorithmic suggestions based on prior engagement with the accounts.

What you can do

What's next:

If you don’t wish to follow these accounts, you can manage your preferences by clicking the ellipsis on the profile page and selecting "unfollow" or "block." Meta encourages users to adjust their settings to tailor their feed to their liking.

The Source: This article is based on reporting by the Associated Press, Snopes, and the New York Post.

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