Meta has resolved a bug that led users to believe their political content settings on Instagram and Threads had been changed without their consent. The issue, which appeared to reset content settings to default and limit political content from non-followed accounts, was addressed on Wednesday.
Meta confirmed the problem earlier in the day, with Communications Director Andy Stone announcing the fix that evening. Stone clarified that while users’ settings seemed to have been altered, no actual changes were made on the back end. He encouraged users to verify their settings to ensure they reflect their preferences.
Users can check and adjust these settings on Instagram by navigating to “Content Preferences” under Settings and selecting “Political content.” This setting influences the political content shown in Explore, Reels, Feed Recommendations, and Suggested Users, and also applies to Threads.
The existence of such a setting highlights the influence of algorithm-driven social apps, where content is curated based on various factors rather than a simple chronological feed. This approach contrasts with other platforms like Bluesky, which allows users to create personalized feeds and subscribe to moderation services, though its user base remains smaller than Instagram’s and Threads’.
This political content control was introduced earlier this year as a way for Meta to mitigate accusations of influencing public opinion, particularly ahead of the U.S. elections. The company has faced criticism from both political sides, with Republicans accusing it of censorship and Democrats criticizing its handling of misinformation. Following the launch of Threads, Meta announced it would no longer proactively recommend political content, sparking backlash from some creators.
The timely resolution of this bug comes just before the first presidential debate between Trump and Biden on Thursday night.
