Instagram Is Filtering Political Content Out Of Your Feed (Here's How To Stop It)
Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, staying informed should be your top priority, and many do so via social media. However, these sites have also become breeding grounds for misinformation, and many platforms have recently taken steps to prevent the spread of information and misinformation alike. Meta previously gave Facebook and Instagram users the option to opt out of seeing political ads, and Facebook also reduced the amount of politics in its News Feed. It looks like the next platform Meta is targeting is Instagram.
In early 2024, Instagram announced it would begin filtering political content out of recommended feeds. This includes the removal of posts associated with laws, elections, and social topics from Explore, Reels, In-Feed Recommendations, and Suggested Users on both Instagram and Threads. You'll still see those posts in your feed if you follow accounts that post political content, as the platform doesn't "want to get between you and their posts," according to Instagram. However, don't expect to see that content if you aren't actively following political accounts.
The changes to Instagram are part of a new initiative at Meta. According to the company's statement, they result from users wanting to see less political content on its platforms, which is in line with a study that said the majority of users don't care about politics on Twitter. However, you can opt out of the changes to Instagram feeds if you want to keep seeing political content.
How to stop Instagram from filtering political content
If you want to fully stay in the know about regional, national, and global politics, you'll want to turn off the setting. Follow these steps to stop Instagram from filtering political content:
- Open the Instagram app.
- Navigate to your profile.
- Tap on the three horizontal lines in the top right-hand corner.
- Under the "What you see" subheading, tap "Suggested content."
- Choose "Political content."
- Select the "Don't limit political content from people you don't follow" option.
When you reach the "Political content" menu, you'll notice that Instagram, by default, selects the option to limit political content on your feed. If you enjoy staying up to date on global political topics, simply choose not to limit it, and you'll once again see that content (from accounts you don't follow) in your Explore, Reels, In-Feed Recommendations, and Suggested Users. However, if you prefer to disassociate from politics while browsing social media, you don't have to do anything.