Meta has announced that European users can now opt out of algorithmic feeds on Instagram and Facebook, in order to comply with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
However, the company is not extending the same choice to app users in the US or anywhere else outside Europe …
The concern that prompted legislation
The European Union was worried about the impact of algorithmic feeds on users of social media networks in particular.
There has been growing concern about social media users ending up in “bubbles” that could distort their view of news and world events – in particular, the risk of certain users being repeatedly exposed to hoaxes and other misinformation while being denied access in their feeds to factual information to counter this.
The Digital Services Act (DSA)
Social media companies are the primary target of the DSA. The legislation is intended to force companies to offer greater transparency around recommendations and ads – as well as be faster to block illegal content, such as child sexual abuse materials (CSAM).
In particular, if companies use algorithmic feeds to decide what content is shown to which users, they need to offer users the option to opt out of these in order to get a more balanced feed.
The same legislation also impacts Apple, in regards to App Store recommendations and ads.
The DSA is being phased in over time, taking full effect for social networks later this month.
You can opt out of algorithmic feeds, in Europe
Meta says that it is complying with the DSA by offering European Facebook and Instagram users the ability to opt out of these algorithmic feeds.
As well as additional transparency, we’re also providing people with more options to help tailor what they see on Facebook and Instagram.
I’ve written previously about our AI ranking and recommendation processes, which help you see content we think you’ll find most meaningful and reduce the distribution of problematic content, so you’re less likely to come across it. We’re now giving our European community the option to view and discover content on Reels, Stories, Search and other parts of Facebook and Instagram that is not ranked by Meta using these systems.
For example, on Facebook and Instagram, users will have the option to view Stories and Reels only from people they follow, ranked in chronological order, newest to oldest.
They will also be able to view Search results based only on the words they enter, rather than personalised specifically to them based on their previous activity and personal interests.
Meta not taking Apple’s approach
When Europe introduced the world’s strongest privacy law – GDPR – the requirements were so stringent that even Apple had to take steps to comply. Rather than just do so within Europe, however, Apple said that it would offer the same privacy improvements to all its customers, worldwide. It seems likely the company will take the same approach with the DSA.
Meta, however, is limiting its changes to European app users, and appears to have no plans to extend the same choices to those in the US or other parts of the world.
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