Meta, the parent company of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, refuted allegations of compelling users to follow official accounts linked to senior members of the new Trump administration.
After complaints arose from some users post Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday claiming they were "automatically" made to follow the new president, Vice-President JD Vance, and First Lady Melania Trump, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone clarified that these accounts were managed by the White House and were updated to reflect the current officeholders.
Stone stated, "This is the same process we followed during the previous presidential transition." The accounts are identified as Potus (President of the United States), VicePresident, and Flotus (First Lady).
Previous versions of the pages verified that the Potus and Flotus accounts had initially showcased the name and official portrait of Joe Biden and Jill Biden.
Stone mentioned that there might be delays in processing follow and unfollow requests as these accounts change ownership.
Former President Trump had a contentious relationship with Meta since his ban in 2021 due to his "praise for individuals engaging in violence" during the US Capitol riots in January. In a book published in August, Trump warned that if Mark Zuckerberg were to interfere in the 2024 presidential election, he would "spend the rest of his life in prison."
Meta recently announced discontinuing third-party fact-checking in favor of a system reminiscent of X's community notes, in an effort to address some of the criticisms made by Trump. The company stated that this decision reaffirmed its dedication to upholding free expression.