Meta to phase back in political content on Facebook, Instagram and Threads

Meta's Content Moderation Policy Overhaul - Meta announced a significant overhaul of its content moderation policies, admitting that its previous approach to limiting political content was "pretty blunt" and would now be addressed [1] - The company plans to reintroduce political content into Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, allowing users who want such content to see more of it [1] Historical Context of Political Content Reduction - Meta reduced the amount of political content on its apps since 2021 based on user feedback indicating a desire to see less of this content [2] - Changes to limit proactive recommendations of political content on Instagram were implemented just last year [2] Backlash from Users and Creators - Meta's decision in early 2024 to stop proactively recommending political content on Instagram and Threads faced backlash from both users and creators, especially during a critical U S presidential election year [3] - Hundreds of creators signed an open letter in April arguing that the decision to limit political content should be opt-in rather than default [3] - Creators expressed concerns about how Meta would define political content, fearing it would limit discussions on topics like climate change, gun control, and reproductive rights [4] - Creators were also worried about the impact on their reach, audience growth, personal brand, and income [5] - Users felt that Meta's changes suppressed their voices on social media, exacerbated by a "bug" that reverted settings to default, limiting political content from non-followed accounts [6] Demand for Political Content - Despite the changes, there was a clear demand for political content in users' feeds, particularly on Threads, where political content often dominated the trends section [7] New Personalized Approach - Meta announced a "more personalized approach" to handling political content, treating "civic content" from followed accounts like any other content in feeds, ranking it based on user engagement signals such as likes and views [8] - The company will recommend more political content based on personalized signals and expand user controls to manage the amount of political content they see [9] - Specific controls will be implemented in user settings, though it is unclear how Meta will inform users about the availability of these controls [9]