When a new administration takes over in the United States, official social media accounts for the President, Vice President, and other key members of the government are automatically turned over to the incoming leaders. This means that followers of former President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Instagram may now find themselves following President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance instead. While some users were confused and upset by this change, Meta, the company that owns Instagram, clarified that it is a normal procedure during a presidential transition.
According to Meta spokesperson Andy Stone, users were not made to automatically follow the official Facebook or Instagram accounts for the President, Vice President, or First Lady. These accounts are managed by the White House, so when a new administration takes office, the content on these pages changes. While some users claimed they were unable to unfollow Trump, Meta assured that follow and unfollow requests may take some time to go through as the accounts change hands. This process also applies to other official accounts on platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
The practice of transferring official social media accounts to the next administration has been in place for several years. President Barack Obama, for example, documented the switch in a blog post in 2016 when he handed over his official X account to President Trump. Archives of the previous administration’s social media posts are preserved by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). This ensures that the digital history of each administration is maintained and accessible to the public.
In addition to the accounts of the President and Vice President, other official accounts such as those for the Press Secretary have also transitioned to the new administration. The posts on these accounts are typically wiped clean to make way for the new administration’s content and updates. This process is part of the peaceful transfer of power that is a hallmark of the American democratic system.
The online frenzy surrounding the following and unfollowing of official government accounts coincided with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s presence at the Inauguration, where he was seated behind President Trump. Zuckerberg and other tech CEOs like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have been involved in discussions about the role of technology and social media in politics. Zuckerberg has also made recent donations to various causes, further highlighting the interconnectedness of social media, politics, and philanthropy in today’s digital age.
