On January 20, 2025, Facebook users found themselves involuntarily following the official account of President Donald Trump. Reports surfaced that a technical glitch or issue automatically connected users to Trump's profile without their consent. This event unfolded as Mark Zuckerberg's Meta faced accusations of forcibly making users follow Trump's account, sparking concern and anger among the platform's community.
The problem arose as the POTUS page, updated each presidential term, caused users who followed Joe Biden to unwittingly follow Trump. Despite attempts to unfollow, users were automatically re-subscribed to Trump's account. This situation led to accusations against Meta of abusing its power and violating Facebook's terms of service.
"I did not follow Trump's Facebook page. Meta is clicking 'follow' for their users. This is an abuse of their power and should be a terms of service violation," – X user
Interestingly, Mark Zuckerberg's connections with President Trump drew additional scrutiny. Zuckerberg, along with other tech billionaires, donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund and attended the event with his wife. Some see this incident as indicative of tech leaders capitulating to Trump's influence.
Reports emerged that users were not only following the official POTUS page but also Trump's separate account. Users received warnings to inspect their accounts for unwanted follows. A Reddit user discovered they were linked to Trump and Vice President JD Vance, noting their newsfeed was inundated with Trump-related content. The incident left many users upset, with calls for an investigation into Meta's practices.
"A heads up for anyone that has Facebook. Zuckerberg saw to it that everyone without their consent followed the President Donald J. Trump Facebook page. I highly suggest you all unfollow that fascist dirt bag," – X user @87_RobertM
The incident prompted widespread concern over privacy and control on social media platforms. Users argue that Meta's actions undermine user autonomy and breach ethical boundaries set by its terms of service.
