After Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday, some users of Meta's platforms expressed concerns about being automatically made to follow official accounts associated with the Trump administration, including those of President Donald Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, and First Lady Melania Trump. These accounts, carrying the handles Potus, VicePresident, and Flotus, transitioned from previously representing Joe Biden and Jill Biden. Meta, however, has denied accusations of forcing users to follow these official accounts.
Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, attended the inauguration alongside other tech billionaires, such as Elon Musk, who holds an advisory role in the Trump administration. Despite denying any forced following of the new administration's accounts, Zuckerberg admitted regret for the decision to automatically transition followers to these new profiles.
The White House manages these accounts and updated them to reflect the new office holders. Mr. Stone from Meta clarified that it "may take some time for follow and unfollow requests to go through as these accounts change hands." This indicates a technical lag during the transition process.
In response to Trump's prior criticisms, Meta announced it would end third-party fact-checking, opting for an approach similar to X's community notes. This decision comes amidst accusations from Trump that Meta colluded with the Biden administration to suppress content related to Hunter Biden and Covid-19 during his previous ban from the platform in 2021.
The inauguration was a notable event attended by influential figures from the tech industry. Prior to this, Meta had donated $1 million towards Trump's inauguration festivities shortly after his election victory in November. Furthermore, Mark Zuckerberg reportedly dined with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence towards the end of November.
In a book written by Trump, he warned that Zuckerberg would "spend the rest of his life in prison" if he interfered in the 2024 presidential election. Despite these tensions, both parties have shown a willingness to engage on various levels post-election.