Key takeaways:

• Users report being automatically followed by President Trump and Vice President Vance on Meta platforms.
• Meta denies any intentional action, attributing changes to account management during administration transitions.
• Some users experience issues with unfollowing the accounts, sparking a wave of online complaints.
• Meta’s policies and recent decisions, including removing fact-checkers, have intensified scrutiny.
• Social media users express anger and confusion over perceived automatic follows.

In the wake of President Donald Trump's inauguration, many users on Meta's platforms have claimed to experience an unintended consequence: following the accounts of Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and First Lady Melania Trump without their consent. This situation has led to growing frustration and confusion among those affected, as reports have surfaced indicating that even after unfollowing these accounts, users find themselves re-following them shortly thereafter. According to a report by ABC News, several users took to social media to voice their concerns, stating they had not actively followed these accounts.

In response to these claims, Meta's communications director, Andy Stone, clarified that users were not made to "automatically follow" the official accounts for Trump, Vance, or Melania Trump. Stone noted that these accounts are managed by the White House, which transitions its content with each administrative change. He emphasized that this process was consistent with past transitions, such as when Joe Biden replaced Trump and Trump's administration replaced President Obama in 2017 and 2021, respectively. He acknowledged that it might take some time for follow and unfollow requests to process during such transitions, which was echoed in multiple sources including The Hill.

Many users have reported difficulties not only in unfollowing these accounts but also in searching for certain terms on Instagram, which led to questions regarding the fairness of Meta's platform during times of political transition. As explained by source reports from Reuters, these concerns have been amplified following Meta's controversial decision to eliminate its third-party fact-checking policies earlier this month, further leading to accusations of potential bias.

With tensions running high around these recent changes and the political scrutiny Meta faces, it remains to be seen how the platform will navigate user feedback and restore trust in its moderation practices. The incidents have provoked significant dialogues surrounding social media's role in politics, especially regarding the potential for users to unintentionally align with political figures they may not support. As noted by Business Insider, some users remain sharply critical, demanding clarity from Meta regarding the situation.

For more insights on this matter, check out the full articles provided by TIME and ABC News.