Liberal Facebook and Instagram users were surprised to find themselves automatically following President Donald Trump’s and Vice President JD Vance’s accounts after the inauguration, leading to claims that the platforms were forcing Americans to follow the profiles as part of a propaganda effort. Some users were shocked to see posts from the new leaders on their feeds despite never following either account, sparking fears that the Trump Administration was taking control of Meta-owned social media platforms.
The presence of multiple social media heads at Trump’s inauguration, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, fueled the anxiety that the supposed auto-follow was the beginning of a move to restrict autonomy on social media platforms. Some users took to social media to express their concerns, with one questioning if Facebook had automatically followed all new administration accounts for Americans and another claiming that Instagram had essentially bought or stolen Vice President Kamala Harris’s follow list.
Despite the panic, it was clarified that users were simply following the official US government accounts, which switch over with each new administration in the White House. The official government accounts, including POTUS, vice president, and first lady profiles, are managed by the White House and change whenever a new administration takes office. This process maintains the same followers, with the posts from the prior administration being archived after the inauguration.
It was explained that the official VP Instagram account switched from Harris to Vance, retaining all current followers, while the POTUS account similarly transitioned from Biden to Trump. This led to the confusion among users who found themselves following Trump without intending to. Every user has the option to choose whether to continue following or unfollow the accounts by clicking the ellipsis on the profile page and selecting the “unfollow” option.
Despite the initial alarm among some liberal users, it was clarified that the automatic following of government accounts was a standard practice that occurs with each new administration. Former President Joe Biden’s archived POTUS account on Facebook had 11 million followers, matching Trump’s new POTUS account, showcasing the transition of followers from one administration to the next. While some users may have been surprised to find themselves following the new administration’s accounts, they have the ability to control their following preferences.
In conclusion, the automatic following of government accounts on social media platforms after a new administration assumes office is a standard procedure that has been in place for several transitions. The switch of official accounts from one administration to the next maintains the same followers while archiving posts from the prior administration. Users have the option to choose whether to continue following the new administration’s accounts or unfollow them based on their preferences. The initial panic among some users was due to a misunderstanding of this standard practice and was clarified by social media representatives.
