How to mix politics with your Threads

Vector collage showing various of aspects of using Threads.
Illustration: The Verge

You can’t really blame Meta’s executives for wanting to limit the amount of political yelling on Instagram and Threads. That stuff can get pretty toxic. As a result, both of Meta’s social networks now limit what Meta terms “political content” from people you are not following.

However, if you are a Threads or Instagram user and you want to be exposed to posts “likely to mention governments, elections, or social topics that affect a group of people and/or society at large” (which is how Meta describes it), you can still do it by opting in to political content. The only thing that may be a little confusing is that you have to opt in within the Instagram app — even if you are mainly using Threads.

Here’s how:

  • On your mobile device, go to the Instagram app.
  • Go to your profile and select the three parallel lines in the upper right.
  • Scroll down to Content preferences > Political content.
  • Select Don’t limit political content from people you don’t follow.
Content preferences page with Political content near bottom of list of suggested content.
First, find the Political content option on Instagram’s Content preferences page.
Mobile page headed Political content with choices to limit or don’t limit political content from people you don’t follow.
Now you can choose whether or not to limit political content.

And now you can expose yourself to as much political infighting as you want. The fact that you need to opt in to political opinions on a social network rather opting out may seem a little topsy-turvy, but this is apparently the way that the Meta execs felt safest. Whether this strategy really will make Threads a less contentious place — or whether it will just make it less interesting — is yet to be seen.



* This article was originally published here

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