Meta Gives EU Users More Control Over Their Facebook And Instagram Feeds
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is making changes to users’ feeds in the EU to comply with the Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA requires very large online platforms (VLOPs) to offer users the option of deactivating personalization and returning to a non-algorithmic feed. TikTok recently made a similar move by removing personalized results for its For You feed and automatically opting users between 13 and 17 out of personalized ads. Meta must comply with the DSA by August 25.
EU users will now only be able to view Instagram Stories and Facebook Reels from accounts they follow, in chronological order from newest to oldest. Search results will be based solely on the words users enter, rather than being personalized based on their previous activity. Meta will also improve transparency by expanding its Ad Library, displaying and archiving all ads targeting EU users. The Ad Library will include information about the ad’s duration, target parameters, and the audience it was shown to. Ads will be stored for one year.
To comply with the DSA’s transparency requirements, Meta is releasing 22 system cards for Facebook and Instagram. These cards provide information about how the AI systems rank content for Feed, Reels, and Stories, and explain the customization options available. Additionally, Meta is launching two new research tools—the Meta Content Library and API—that allow researchers to search, explore, and filter publicly available content on Facebook and Instagram.
These changes present a different experience for EU users compared to users in other regions like the U.S. and the UK. Meta may eventually extend these privacy rights worldwide. The company is positioning itself as supportive of the DSA and advocates for holding large platforms accountable through reporting and auditing rather than micromanaging content. Meta emphasizes the importance of the DSA maintaining its authority over national laws to ensure consistency and preserve the user experience across the EU.
