Instagram and Threads are reportedly enabling back its opt-in political content filter because of a supposed "error" in parent company Meta's toggle system.
(Photo : Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
In a Threads post on Wednesday, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone claimed the issue "should not have happened" and "has now been fixed."
Stone said the technical glitch stems from an issue with the political content settings "mistakenly appeared to have reset" every time users close the app.
The spokesperson did not disclose the exact reason for the supposed "error."
Users have noted the issue in the platforms' default political content filter for several days now after finding out that it is switched back despite previously opting to disable it.
However, the issue only reached Meta after influencer and political activist Keith Edwards started urging people to notify Meta.
Also Read: Content Creators Sign Petition on Opt-in Button for Limited Political Content on Instagram, Threads
Users Push Back Against Instagram, Threads Political Content Filter
The political content filter has long been opposed by many of its users, claiming that the filter is essentially a "blindfold" to political events happening to people.
The recent issue with the filter's toggle only further enflamed calls to end the feature entirely.
With the upcoming 2024 Elections, many users and digital advocacy groups are worried that such filters would impact people's decisions in the voting polls.
It did not help that Meta has already been accused before of "systemic" censoring of certain political content, particularly human rights posts, on its platforms.
Meta, which has long been plagued with disinformation campaigns, claimed the feature as part of its response to people wanting to see "less political content" on its platforms.
Related Article: Meta Censors Pro-Palestine Content on Facebook, Instagram - Human Rights Group
Meta Leverages AI in Tagging Political Content
Another concern for many political content personalities is how Meta fully leverages AI to manage people's recommendations, including posts about political subjects.
The company has already been reported to "harm children, stoke division, and weaken our democracy" due to the learning machine-powered algorithms of prioritizing engagement over relevance.
This allows threat actors and groups to influence people's feeds through artificially-boosted posts. Even if Meta has acted upon it, the posts have most likely already been viewed by thousands of people.
