Meta Lets Americans Customize the Reels Algorithm

Facebook has unveiled a fresh series of feed updates and algorithm adjustments as it works to reassert its relevance in a social landscape that’s shifting faster than ever. To begin with, the platform is aiming to make the main feed “simpler and more immersive,” introducing redesigned layouts for multi-photo posts and streamlining the tools for liking and expanding images. A double-tap will now register a like on any photo within a collection, while tapping an image will expand the post to full screen.  With this upgraded layout, photo sets will appear in a consistent grid, creating a cleaner, more uniform viewing experience. The enhanced full-screen mode reflects Meta’s broader pivot toward visually led, immersive content — the format users now expect across modern apps. Meta is also reshuffling its navigation tools to highlight the features users rely on most: “Soon, the most-used Facebook features on your tab bar – like Reels, Friends, Marketplace, and Profile – will be front-and-center in your tab bar, so you can easily access them. You’ll also see a refreshed menu design and cleaner tab notifications to catch up on the latest updates across Facebook.”  While many users navigate primarily through the bottom bar, Meta’s goal here is to create more intuitive pathways to the app’s key functions, offering quicker movement between content types with a more user-friendly tab system. Facebook is also revamping its search results, shifting to a more visual, grid-style presentation that accommodates all content formats.  This aesthetic change aligns neatly with broader trends in discovery, where full-screen visuals increasingly dominate browsing behaviors across social platforms. The company says it’s testing a new full-screen viewer as well, allowing users to explore photo and video results without losing their place in search. That tool is expected to roll out in the coming months. In addition, Facebook is experimenting with its own version of the manual algorithm controls now seen on Instagram and Threads.  A new “X” menu on posts will present users with more granular topic options to indicate why a post is irrelevant, giving the system clearer signals about user preferences. Until now, the only tools available in this area were “snooze” and “report,” which did little to shape the personalized feed experience. Meta says more controls will be tested next year, reflecting the company’s growing emphasis on allowing users to directly influence what they see. Posting is also becoming more streamlined, thanks to Facebook’s decision to surface the most popular editing tools in the final stage of the composer.  This approach, reminiscent of Instagram’s posting workflow, nudges users to add creative flourishes before publishing. It’s a strategic attempt to encourage richer, more polished posts — and perhaps more frequent sharing. Comments, too, are receiving a refresh, with simplified reply threads, clearer badges, and expanded pinning tools to improve the flow of conversation.  And in a final push toward increasing engagement, Facebook is reworking its people discovery system, introducing friend suggestions based on shared interests: “For example, if you update your profile to show you’re into sourdough bread baking or planning a trip to Nashville, Facebook will show you friends who can give you sourdough starter tips or offer suggestions on the best local spots.”  The shift from mutual connections to interest-based recommendations is a bold — and arguably risky — move. While it could help users find new communities built around shared passions, the lack of vetting raises obvious safety concerns. A recommendation engine that pairs strangers simply because their profile keywords match leaves room for misuse, and there’s no inherent system ensuring those interactions are safe. Facebook might argue this isn’t much different from the activity in groups, where strangers also connect. But groups involve oversight, rules, and moderation — elements that one-to-one recommendations do not guarantee. And because Facebook itself is pushing these connections, users may trust them more than they should. Setting aside that concern, the broader suite of updates clearly reflects Facebook’s need to adapt. Despite boasting over 3 billion monthly users — more than any platform in history — Facebook is no longer where people spend most of their daily social time. TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram dominate the attention economy with their immersive short-form feeds, while Facebook’s role has shifted to a utility where users check in rather than linger. Meta’s newest changes aim to reignite interaction and restore some of the dynamism the platform once commanded. They mirror modern usage behaviors, lean more heavily into visual immersion, and give users greater influence over their experience. Still, the attempt to connect strangers through interest-based profiling is likely to raise more questions than excitement. Even so, taken as a whole, the updates could introduce meaningful improvements — and perhaps even shift how people engage with Facebook in the months ahead. 📢 If you're interested in Facebook Ads Account, don't hesitate to connect with us!🔹 https://linktr.ee/Adshinepro💬 We're always ready to assist you!

It appears the Trump Administration’s long-running rhetorical standoff with European officials is finally reaching a boiling point. Late last week, the EU Commission hit Elon Musk’s X with a €120 million ($140 million) fine, citing violations of the platform’s DSA transparency obligations. To rewind for context: in 2023, former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton publicly condemned X’s revamped verification system — the paid checkmark model that allows virtually anyone to purchase a blue badge. The previous Twitter-era system, for all its flaws, was intended to curb misinformation by granting verification only to public figures, major brands, and government entities. Under Musk’s paid model, the line between authenticity and convenience has blurred to the point of collapse. Breton argued that this shift creates confusion and therefore breaches the DSA’s transparency requirements. One could counter that Twitter’s original process suffered from arbitrary criteria, or that Musk has now rendered the blue tick so meaningless that the badge no longer signals credibility at all. But the core of the EU’s initial concern rested on the charge of deception. Combined with broader transparency shortcomings, this led the EU to open a full investigation. Musk, unsurprisingly, embraced the confrontation. He publicly welcomed a “very public battle in court,” insisting that European citizens deserved to “know the truth.” Now, he may indeed get that spectacle. The EU Commission has imposed a significant fine, accusing X of violating DSA rules by deploying deceptive design practices. The Commission’s formal notice states: “This deception exposes users to scams, including impersonation frauds, as well as other forms of manipulation by malicious actors. While the DSA does not mandate user verification, it clearly prohibits online platforms from falsely claiming that users have been verified, when no such verification took place.” This criticism targets X Premium directly: users willing to pay for a badge need only verify a phone number — hardly the rigorous process the platform implies. Beyond the checkmark issue, X is also being penalized for failing to maintain a searchable ad library and falling short of its obligations to provide researchers with access to public platform data. X must now pay the $140 million fine and will have 90 days to present a detailed plan addressing each of the Commission’s concerns. A reasonable observer might assume X would comply and adjust its systems to satisfy European regulators. But Elon Musk has chosen a very different path. His response has been incendiary, likening the EU Commission to the Nazi regime, endorsing calls for the U.S. to abandon NATO, and demanding the dissolution of the EU altogether. In other words, another calm and understated reaction from the world’s richest man. Musk has also secured support from senior U.S. officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with Rubio characterizing the EU’s action as “an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments.” So the response from Washington has been equally restrained — which is to say, not at all. Members of the Trump Administration have long criticized European regulatory frameworks, arguing they unfairly burden U.S. companies. Administration officials have repeatedly signaled that they are prepared to defend American businesses more aggressively if provoked. Earlier this year, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr declared the DSA “incompatible with America’s free speech tradition,” while Vance condemned parallel EU restrictions on AI development. President Trump has floated the idea of imposing tariffs on European imports in retaliation for penalties levied against U.S. tech giants. Yet, until now, the administration has not taken formal retaliatory action. Could this be the case that changes that posture? Ironically, such a shift could benefit Meta, one of Musk’s chief rivals, which has spent years repositioning itself to gain favor with the Trump Administration. Meta has absorbed more than $1 billion annually in EU fines, fighting each one aggressively. Its overtures toward Trump’s team have been partly aimed at securing U.S. backing in these disputes. But so far, no retaliation has materialized. With Elon — a close Republican ally — now under fire, the calculus may shift. The latest X fine has clearly caught the attention of Republican lawmakers, and there is growing expectation that Trump will respond in some form to counter the EU ruling. What shape could that response take? Reports earlier this year suggested the State Department was evaluating options ranging from visa restrictions to tariffs, trade limits, and other economic measures. But Trump could, if he wanted, act far more dramatically — for instance, by pulling the U.S. out of NATO or drastically reducing America’s support for Europe. That scenario remains hypothetical, and the administration has not signaled anything close to such an extreme move. But the rhetoric is intensifying, and retaliation of some kind seems increasingly likely. Stepping back, this episode highlights the extraordinary geopolitical weight that social media platforms now carry. The U.S.–China relationship is entangled in the fate of TikTok. The U.S.–EU relationship may fray over X and Facebook. It sounds absurd, but global diplomacy is increasingly shaped by disputes over apps. Not long ago, these platforms were dismissed as trivial entertainment. Today, they sit at the center of international power struggles. Expect this conflict to escalate before the year is out. 📢 If you're interested in Facebook Ads Account, don't hesitate to connect with us!🔹 https://linktr.ee/Adshinepro💬 We're always ready to assist you!

While Elon Musk’s X braces for a showdown over its latest Digital Services Act penalty, Meta appears to have secured something resembling a regulatory victory in Europe. The EU Commission has agreed to Meta’s revised proposal to reduce its use of personal data in ad targeting — an alternative to the company’s pay-or-consent model — bringing Meta closer to compliance with the bloc’s strict data-use rules. It’s the latest turn in a lengthy back-and-forth between Meta and European regulators. In 2023, Meta introduced its first ad-free subscription tier for EU residents. Priced at €9.99 per month, the plan allowed users to access Facebook and Instagram without any data tracking whatsoever. That approach enabled Meta to meet regulatory requirements by offering a real opt-out for data collection while still preserving a revenue stream. But privacy advocates criticized the strategy, arguing that it undermined the principles of the GDPR and its broader guardrails against “data capitalism.” Since then, Meta has repeatedly adjusted the offer, even slashing subscription fees, hoping to satisfy EU officials and gain support for its alternative framework. And now, it appears Meta may have found the formula that regulators can accept: a new middle-ground option limiting the amount of personal data used for ads. According to the EU Commission: “The European Commission acknowledges Meta’s undertaking to offer users in the EU an alternative choice of Facebook and Instagram services that would show them less personalized ads, to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This is the first time that such a choice is offered on Meta’s social networks. Meta will give users the effective choice between: consenting to share all their data and seeing fully personalized advertising, and opting to share less personal data for an experience with more limited personalized advertising. Meta will present these new options to users in the EU in January 2026.” In practice, this means the EU will no longer force the binary decision of either accepting extensive ad targeting or paying to avoid it. Meta will give users a third path — keep ads, but limit how much data is used to personalize them. Users will still see ads; they’ll just be less relevant. But it aligns more closely with the DSA’s overarching goals. Unsurprisingly, Meta has not been shy about its irritation with the process. The company has accused EU authorities of regulatory “overreach,” insisting that such restrictions will inevitably create “a worse experience for users and businesses.” Meta’s core argument is straightforward: if users want to opt out of tracking while still using Meta’s platforms, the company must have another way to monetize them. From a free-market standpoint, that’s a defensible position. Any rule forcing Meta to provide services without compensation essentially treats the platform as a public utility — which it is not. So Meta maintains that it is entitled to request payment, whether in data or dollars. EU officials have pushed back in an attempt to reinforce the value of personal data, which has become the currency of the digital age and has arguably been undervalued by consumers for years. Both perspectives have merit — but the result is likely to be what Meta has been warning about all along: EU users receiving a less personalized, less useful ad experience. That trade-off probably isn’t what most people want, yet it’s the direct by-product of regulators seeking to redefine data rights. This broader friction is one reason Meta has been urging the U.S. government to support American tech companies facing mounting European penalties. Washington has expressed sympathy for Meta’s position and for other U.S. platforms caught in the regulatory crossfire. But the White House has stopped short of deploying any retaliatory measures. For now. With Elon Musk — a close ally of President Trump — now squarely in the crosshairs of EU enforcement, that dynamic could shift quickly. Such a move could give Meta a significant advantage, pressuring the EU to soften at least some of its regulatory ambitions. Until now, European officials have stood firm despite hints of U.S. retaliation, and Washington has not outlined any formal response. But the standoff could escalate as the EU continues to roll out rules with direct consequences for American tech giants. 📢 If you're interested in Facebook Ads Account, don't hesitate to connect with us!🔹 https://linktr.ee/Adshinepro💬 We're always ready to assist you!