Meta has responded to complaints from users who claimed they were forced to follow the social media accounts of the new US administration under President Donald Trump.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone clarified that users were not automatically made to follow any official Facebook or Instagram accounts associated with the new administration.
Stone explained that the accounts of Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President JD Vance are managed by the White House, and with the change in administration, the content on these pages has been updated.
He also noted that the same process was followed during the last presidential transition in 2021.
Stone acknowledged that it might take some time for follow and unfollow requests to process as the accounts change hands.
The complaints come amid ongoing efforts by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to maintain a positive relationship with Trump’s administration.
Zuckerberg, who attended Trump’s inauguration ceremony and dined with the new president, has been accused of accommodating the Trump administration’s agenda by appointing several of Trump’s allies to key roles and rolling back programs previously targeted by conservatives