Meta denies forcing users to follow Trump accounts

Meta, the company which owns social media networks Facebook and Instagram, has denied forcing users to follow official accounts belonging to senior figures in the new Trump administration.

Some users of the platforms had complained following Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday that they had "automatically" been made to follow the new president, as well as Vice-President JD Vance and First Lady Melania Trump.

Meta spokesman Andy Stone explained that the accounts were managed by the White House, which had updated them to reflect the new position holders.

"This is the same procedure we followed during the last presidential transition," he wrote in a statement

The accounts carry the handles Potus - which stands for "president of the United States" - as well as VicePresident and Flotus, an acronym for the first lady.

Archived versions of the pages show the Potus and Flotus accounts previously carried the name and official portrait of Joe Biden and Jill Biden, respectively.

Mr Stone added that it "may take some time for follow and unfollow requests to go through as these accounts change hands".

Trump became US president for the second time on Monday and quickly set about issuing a range of executive orders and directives asserting his political agenda - ranging from withdrawing from the World Health Organisation to declaring a national emergency at the border with Mexico.