In the digital age, social media plays a significant role in connecting leaders with the public. After the inauguration on January 20th, some users of Facebook and Instagram noticed they were suddenly following the accounts of President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. This unexpected change has sparked discussions about how official government social media accounts are managed during transitions of power.

Social Media Account Handover Explained

In the wake of the recent presidential transition, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, clarified the management of official U.S. Presidential and White House social media accounts. According to a statement by Meta spokesman Andy Stone, these accounts are directly overseen by the White House and undergo changes when there is a new occupant. The same applies to the First Lady and Vice President's accounts.

The transfer process involves archiving the previous administration’s accounts and transferring followers to the new official account. For instance, Joe Biden’s former official accounts have been archived under handles like @potus46archive, while Donald Trump now holds the @potus handle for his official communications. On Facebook, Biden’s archived page retains its 11 million followers, who were automatically transferred to Trump’s page.

This phenomenon has led to some confusion among users who found themselves following the new administration’s pages without prior engagement. Some individuals expressed surprise on various platforms, noting that they and their friends had not previously followed any political pages but were now connected to the new accounts.

Katie Harbath, a former director at Facebook responsible for global elections policy, provided historical context on this practice. She explained that her team established protocols for handling such transitions in 2016 when transitioning from Obama to Trump, and again in 2021 when moving from Trump to Biden. These procedures ensure that old accounts are archived, follower counts remain intact, but content is wiped clean for the new administration.

Users can choose to unfollow or block these pages if they wish to disconnect from receiving updates from the new administration.

From a journalistic perspective, this situation highlights the importance of transparency in the management of official social media accounts. It underscores the need for clear communication during leadership transitions to prevent misinformation and confusion among the public. As social media continues to evolve, ensuring that these transitions are handled smoothly and transparently will be crucial for maintaining trust between government entities and citizens.