Meta, the parent company of Threads, has announced a new test feature called “topics” that will allow political content to surface on the platform. This move comes after Meta’s previous decision to no longer recommend political content across recommendation surfaces on Instagram and Threads. The new feature aims to help users find timely topics that others are discussing on the social network.
Key Takeaway
Meta’s Threads will introduce a new “topics” feature that will allow political content to surface on the platform, in contrast to its previous decision to not recommend political content.
Testing the New Topics Feature
The “topics” feature will be initially tested in the U.S. and will be determined by Meta’s AI systems based on user engagement. These topics will appear on the Search page and in the For You feed. Meta’s machine learning algorithm will consider various signals, such as the number of people engaging with a topic and the number of posts related to that topic. The company’s content specialists will ensure that the topics adhere to the Community Guidelines and other integrity policies.
Handling Political Content
Contrary to the previous decision to not recommend political content, Meta has clarified that political content can be a topic within the new feature. The company will only remove political topics if they violate the Community Guidelines or other integrity policies. The topics will not be personalized recommendations, as they are determined by algorithms and not individualized to end users.
Competitive Edge and Oversight
This move is expected to make Threads more competitive with its rival X, as it will enable users to engage in real-time conversations and debates on the platform. However, the extent of human oversight on the topics section remains to be seen, as Meta could either fully curate it or largely leave it up to an algorithm.
