So Meta is limiting political content. What now?

In February, Meta announced that it would slowly start limiting political content on Instagram and Threads (they already do this on Facebook). 

So there it is. The end of digital organizing as we know it.

Thanks for stopping by our newsletter! Follow us on Instagram and Threads….Wait; maybe this is a slight overreaction. 

To really break this down, we have to talk about content from two perspectives: you as a user and you as a content creator. 

As a user, Instagram won't hide political content from accounts you already follow. Only new political accounts won't be suggested to you. But you can easily change this by going to your IG profile, tapping the three lines in the top-right corner, and then selecting "Settings and Activity." From there, go to "Content preferences," choose "Political content," and turn on the "Don't limit political content" option. Easy peasy. 

If you're a content creator, you might be feeling existential dread about all this. Your current followers will still see your political content as usual, but now it won't be recommended to new audiences.

Meta's decision to limit political content is partly aimed at cooling off online political tensions and partly to protect themselves legally. Given Facebook's history of promoting disinformation and inciting online anger, they're opting to deprioritize political content altogether. 

But how does it work? Think of it this way: Meta doesn't slap a "political" label on each post you make. Instead, it tags your entire account as political, leading to a halt in recommendations for your content. If your account is deemed political, you'll notice this in your settings under "Account Status." From there, you might need to clean up or appeal specific content or take a break from posting similar content to regain your spot in the recommendation feed. 

The result? Dips in engagement across the board (conservative and progressive accounts alike).

Now, they still may be rolling this out ahead of the election, but today our PP accounts are not tagged as political despite posting about abortion rights and Trans rights recently. There’s a good chance you might not even be affected. 

So, what now? Meta is telling us to use their platforms differently. While there's no magic bullet for navigating Meta's changes, keep an eye on your account status and adjust your content accordingly. Consider exploring other platforms like TikTok, especially if your goal is to expand your reach.

Since our co-conspirators are looking to make specific change, my advice to you is to focus on the followers you already have. It’s important not to confuse having a large following with having a large impact. Concentrate on driving your existing followers to action and nurturing your relationship with them since action is why we do this work. 

For our PP account, we'll continue posting political content on Meta as it helps us refine our content strategy and explore new directions. For smaller organizations aiming to expand their reach, we'll reassess their approach to Instagram and consider which platforms can hold some of the weight of their political vision. Eggs in baskets and all that.