Meta Denies Allegations of Forcing Users to Follow Trump Accounts
Meta Responds to Claims of Forced Follows, Clarifies Transition Process for Official Accounts
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- Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has denied claims that it forced users to follow official accounts of Donald Trump
- After Trump was sworn in on Monday, several users expressed frustration
- Zuckerberg has sought to repair his relationship with President Trump
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has denied claims that it forced users to follow official accounts of Donald Trump and senior members of his new administration following his inauguration.
After Trump was sworn in on Monday, several users expressed frustration, claiming they were automatically made to follow accounts associated with the new president, Vice-President JD Vance, and First Lady Melania Trump.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone clarified the issue, explaining that the accounts were managed by the White House, which updated them to reflect the new officeholders.
He stated, “This is the same procedure we followed during the last presidential transition,” adding that users might experience delays in follow or unfollow requests as the accounts were transferred to new officials.
The official accounts, such as Potus (President of the United States), VicePresident, and Flotus (First Lady of the United States), had previously carried the names and portraits of Joe Biden and Jill Biden before the change.
Stone also emphasized that the account transitions were part of the standard process and that it might take some time for updates to be fully reflected.
Trump, who returned to the presidency on Monday, swiftly signed executive orders, marking his political priorities, including withdrawing from the World Health Organization and declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border.
His inauguration attracted top tech industry figures, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and X CEO Elon Musk.
Meta’s relationship with Trump has been contentious in the past. The company banned him in 2021 due to his comments following the January 6 Capitol riots, which it deemed incited violence.
Trump and his supporters have accused Meta of collaborating with the Biden administration to suppress certain content. However, after Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, Zuckerberg has sought to repair his relationship with the president, even meeting with him at Mar-a-Lago and donating $1 million towards the inauguration.
Earlier this month, Meta also announced a shift away from third-party fact-checking and toward a model similar to X’s community notes, positioning itself as recommitting to “free expression.”