Major tech platforms like Facebook and Instagram are soon starting to implement the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). As a result, we can expect more chronological posts on these platforms. In order to comply with the regulations, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will introduce Stories and Reels in chronological order. This change will be welcomed by those who prefer a non-algorithmic approach.
The main objective of the new regulations is to create platforms that do not rely on profiling users. Meta has expressed its support for a standardized regulatory system and has advocated for greater transparency, accountability, and user empowerment. They believe that regulations such as the DSA, GDPR, and the ePrivacy Directive align with their commitment to protect people’s rights online while promoting innovation.
Meta has dedicated a team of over 1,000 members to develop strategies that meet the requirements of the DSA since its introduction in November. They claim to have made significant progress in enhancing ad transparency, restructuring the ad experience for teenagers, developing new tools, and giving users more control. However, these claims should be taken with a grain of salt.
Moreover, Meta has announced that they have simplified the process for users to report content that may violate their Community Standards and Guidelines. In addition to notifying users when their content is removed and giving them the opportunity to appeal, Meta will now provide this information to users in the EU for a wider range of content moderation decisions. This includes cases where feature limits are applied to user accounts or when content is restricted due to violation of local laws.
It’s worth mentioning that Meta reintroduced the chronological Feed in 2022, but it requires manual activation each time the app is opened. Interestingly, they quickly made their Twitter-esque Threads chronological without the need for manual activation. It remains uncertain how the announced changes will affect Stories and Reels. It is unclear whether users will need to activate it manually or if it will be set as the default. Given Meta’s track record, it is likely that there will be some conditions or limitations attached to these changes as well.