Meta denies forcing accounts to follow Donald Trump, claims hiding Democrat hashtags is a bug

Meta denies forcing users to follow Trump or hiding Democrat hashtags, cites technical errors.

: Meta has denied allegations of forcing users to follow Donald Trump or hiding Democrat-related hashtags, attributing the issues to technical glitches. Andy Stone of Meta explained the confusion arising from the transition in White House accounts. Some users remain skeptical, citing instances where they cannot unfollow certain accounts. Additionally, searches for Democrat hashtags on Instagram showed hidden results, which Meta claims to be a broader technical problem.

Meta has come under scrutiny after users reported being unknowingly subscribed to Donald Trump’s, JD Vance’s, and Melania Trump's accounts across its platforms. Andy Stone, Meta's communication director, clarified on Threads and X that this subscription issue was due to White House account transitions, not intentional action by Meta. He reassured users that follow and unfollow requests might take a while due to changes in account management.

Amidst these explanations, some users experienced difficulties unfollowing these accounts, fueling skepticism. Furthermore, the company faced accusations of political bias when Instagram searches for Democrat-related hashtags resulted in hidden messages. Meta defended itself by stating this was due to a technical glitch affecting multiple hashtags, including some related to the Republican Party.

Adding to the controversy, CEO Mark Zuckerberg suspended certain fact-checking measures and appeared on the Joe Rogan podcast, emphasizing a need for more 'masculine energy.' This rhetoric led a lawyer to drop Meta as a client, citing concerns about toxic masculinity and extreme views. Despite some backlash, Meta is working to address the technical issues affecting its platforms.