In a move to align with the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA), Facebook and Instagram, under its parent company Meta, have revealed a series of significant changes that promise to reshape the user experience on its platforms.
These adjustments, including the introduction of chronological Stories and Reels, signal a departure from the era of algorithm-driven content curation and profiling.
New Rules for Big Tech
The reason behind Meta's sweeping changes is the European Commission's recent directive for online platforms to provide alternative systems not reliant on profiling, in line with the DSA.
This directive, backed by the Commission, aims to bolster user privacy and hand individuals greater autonomy over their online interactions.
The DSA mandates that platforms with over 45 million users, termed "very large online platforms" like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok must allow users to switch off personalized content recommendations.
In a previous report, TikTok verified that users can now opt out of receiving personalized content recommendations, which are the backbone of TikTok's "For You Page" (FYP).
Meta Adopts New EU Regulations
In an official announcement, Nick Clegg, Meta's President of Global Affairs, stated, "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."
This move represents a significant shift, particularly for platforms like Instagram, where the algorithmic "For You" feed has reigned supreme, often dictating the content users see.
While the intention behind these changes is clear, Engadget notes that the implementation details remain somewhat elusive.
Instagram's existing "Following" feature already offers users the ability to sort by those they follow, but it is largely relegated to a secondary page, overshadowed by the algorithmic default.
Facebook, on the other hand, poses more of a challenge, requiring users to navigate through menus to access unranked content.
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However, these changes extend beyond mere content ordering. Meta's commitment to user empowerment manifests in various forms.
For instance, Search results will now be based solely on the entered keywords, reducing personalized recommendations derived from past activity. Additionally, the introduction of 22 system cards offers insight into how AI systems rank content, adding depth to the "Why Am I Seeing This" feature.
The company's response to the DSA also extends to advertising. Meta is expanding its Ad library to encompass all ads targeting EU users, archived for a year, including parameters like age, gender, and location. Researchers gain access to new tools that offer publicly available content from Pages, Posts, Groups, and Events, further promoting transparency and accessibility.
Meta also said that they have updated how ads work for young users on their platforms. Starting last February, teens aged 13-17 from all around the world will not see ads that are influenced by what they do on the apps, such as liking specific Instagram posts or following Facebook pages.
Now, the only details advertisers can use to show ads to teens are their age and where they live.
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