Following the recent presidential inauguration, Facebook and Instagram users have reported being automatically connected to the accounts of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. This phenomenon, although surprising to some users, is a standard procedure that occurs every four years during presidential transitions, as explained by Meta spokesperson Andy Stone.
Stone clarified the situation in a post on X Tuesday, stating that the 'POTUS' and 'White House' accounts are managed by the White House and are subject to change with each new administration. Therefore, users who followed these accounts in the past will continue to follow them even after a change in leadership.
Upon assuming office, President Trump and his team were granted access to a range of official government accounts on Facebook and Instagram, such as @POTUS, @WhiteHouse, @VP, and @FLOTUS. The accounts from previous administrations are archived, along with their posts and followers. Subsequently, these followers are transferred to the new official accounts, leading users to perceive the transition as automatic.
This transfer of followers is a common practice across various branches of government whenever new leadership takes charge, and the process is expected to repeat itself in the next presidential transition in four years.
