Do you like your Instagram algorithm, but hate that it's missing political posts from accounts you don't follow? You're in luck: Starting this week in the U.S. (and next week for the rest of the world) Meta is going to start adding political content to your recommendations on Instagram and Threads by default.
If you're thinking, "Hey, didn't Instagram have the exact opposite approach to this situation last year?" you'd be right. In February of 2024, the company announced it would explicitly not suggest political content from accounts you didn't follow. Unless you actively sought out this content, you could browse the app in peace, left to check out whatever interests you have outside politics.
However, it is no longer February 2024. January 2025 is a much different place for Instagram, Meta, and the U.S. As Mark Zuckerberg drastically changes policies surrounding what you can say on Meta's platforms, Instagram (and, by extension, Threads) are making changes as well. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, took to Threads to announce the changes, stating that while he still doesn't believe Meta should be showing political content to people from accounts they don't follow, "a lot of people have been very clear that they want this content."
Indeed, it seems my Instagram settings have already flipped over, while my Threads settings have yet to. (But I have no doubt they will.) Without intervention, you'll likely start seeing more political content that may anger, upset, worry, or frustrate you. Luckily, there is something you can do about it.
Let's start with Instagram: Open your profile, then tap the hamburger menu in the top right. Scroll down to the "What you see" section, then choose "Suggested content." Here, tap "Political content," and you'll find three options: Standard, the default, which shows "some" suggested political content; See more, which shows you more political content, if that's your jam; and See less, which is the option you want. Despite the option having "less" in the name, Instagram says it will not share political content with you when it recognizes it, so it should be enough to remove most of the content you'd come into contact with.
If it's not, however, back out of this page, then tap the toggle next to Snooze suggested posts in feed. This will remove this type of content from your feed for the next 30 days. It's not perfect, but at least you have a month of peace.
These options should be present in much the same way on Threads, but reaching them is a bit different. Again, head to your profile, then tap the hamburger menu. Only this time, choose "Account," then "Political content." Right now, I still see the old Suggest political content setting, which is off by default.
