Dear Friend –

Instagram just implemented a change that means the reach of any “political content” is now being limited by default in recommendation feeds, including in Explore, Reels, In-Feed Recommendations, and Suggested Users. [1]

This unilateral action majorly undermines the reach of creators who advocate for climate change action, gun violence prevention, racial justice, transgender rights, and reproductive freedom.

Meta’s vague definition of political content as “likely to mention governments, elections, or social topics that affect a group of people and/or society at large” is a direct blow to any individuals or communities who have been historically marginalized – whose identities have been rendered a “social topic” in this country.

A far better option would be for Meta to make this feature an opt-in choice for those who want to use it – So sign our petition to Instagram and tell them to stop limiting “political content” by default.

TAKE ACTION NOW

The real-world effect of this change is eroding the reach of authoritative and factual content from creators who are trusted sources for news and political updates. This poses a serious threat to education, civic engagement, and democracy (in an election year, no less)!

Here at Accountable Tech, and alongside our partners from GLAAD, we’ve been calling attention to this issue in recent days, pointing out that “…today’s fragmented media environment, that Meta helped create, has resulted in social media platforms having outsize influence over the way information is presented and disseminated, and this decision will have negative effects both on and off their platforms.” [2]

Meta operates some of the largest communication platforms in the world – and thus bears a special responsibility to be an open and safe space for dialogue, conversation, and discussion that doesn’t use default settings to stifle the reach of creators speaking out about social issues.

So please take action today and tell Instagram Head Adam Mosseri: Stop limiting political content by default!

Thank you for speaking out today and helping hold Big Tech Accountable,

Nicole Gill
Co-founder and Executive Director
Accountable Tech

1. The Guardian: Instagram users to see less of what Meta deems ‘political’ content unless they opt in
2. Washington Post: Content creators ask Meta to reverse politics limits on Instagram, Threads

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