Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Threads, has announced a significant shift in its approach towards political content on these platforms.

Instagram boss Adam Mosseri revealed in a Threads post that, starting in the next few weeks, Meta will no longer actively suggest political content to users by default on Instagram and Threads.

While users will still encounter political content from accounts they follow, the apps will cease to “proactively amplify” such posts through algorithms. This change will be particularly noticeable on public accounts where Meta’s algorithm recommends content, including areas like Instagram’s Reels, Explore, and suggested users on Threads.

Mosseri emphasized that users who wish to continue seeing political content on these platforms can have control over their preferences.

A new feature will be introduced where users can navigate to the Suggested Content tab, select Political content, and then choose between the ‘Don’t Limit’ or ‘Limit’ options based on their preferences.

Meta plans to implement a similar control on Facebook at a later date, extending the user-centric approach across its platforms.

Additionally, Professional accounts on Instagram will have the ability to use Account Status to assess their eligibility for recommendations, considering recent postings of political content. Users can edit or remove posts, request a review if they disagree with decisions, or pause posting political content for a specific duration to regain eligibility.

This strategic shift aims to offer users more control over their content consumption and aligns with Meta’s commitment to creating a positive and personalized user experience, reducing the amplification of political content by default.