Have you ever logged onto Instagram or Facebook and noticed you’re following someone you never chose to follow? A few weeks ago, I opened my feed, and there it was — I was suddenly following some random bot of a person that I never chose to follow. I hadn’t clicked anything, hadn’t agreed to it, and honestly, I felt a little violated. Turns out I wasn’t the only one. According to a recent New York Times piece by Mike Isaac (2025), some Meta users were mysteriously auto-followed to political figures.

It reminds me of the days of Myspace, where everyone was a friend of Tom, or when everyone’s phone mysteriously had the U2 album on it years back. That moment sent me down a rabbit hole, and what I found was both eye-opening and deeply concerning.

At the same time this was happening, Facebook and Instagram quietly rolled back their third-party fact-checking efforts. So not only are these platforms deciding who we follow or engage with, without consent but they’re also no longer bothering to check if what we’re seeing is even true. Its all decided by an algorithm and some billionaires and corporations who can change the rules whenever they want.

So what do we do about it?

Some experts suggest creating more decentralized platforms where power is distributed and transparency is prioritized. I agree! I dont want an algorithm steering me toward clout chasing posts, click-bait, unwanted ads, and stealthy changes to my feed without consent. I want to feel like Im part of a community, not a conduit to push a product. An increasing amount of voices are advocating for laws that would require platforms to allow “portability,” meaning users could take their posts, followers, and conversations with them if they leave. It’s an idea explored in Monahan’s paper, and one that could shift power back toward everyday users like us. But will these platforms let us? I doubt it. To them we are a number.

I’ve recently started changing how I use social platforms. I’m more aware of what I share, who I engage with, and where my information comes from. I use vpn tools to track how my feed is shaped, and I’ve stepped back from mindless scrolling. It might sound small, but in a world where algorithms feed us most of what we see, small decisions add up. Our attention is the currency, and I want to be more intentional about where I spend mine.

I know what you’re thinking. So, disconnect completely! Better said than done. Connections on these platforms are now how we get news, connect with family and friends, absorb pop culture, and access relevant data to be informed in a 24/7 information era. Hell, I don’t even know where to find a newspaper in 2025. All of these assertions are changing the conversation anyway. The real

At the end of the day, we have to ask: if these platforms are where true, factual, and transparent conversations happen. Shouldn’t we have a say in how they work? Or, will we wake up one day to find we’ve outsourced not just our conversations, but our rights,  to people who never asked what we wanted in the first place?

So here’s what I’ll leave you with: If social media is the new public square, how long can it stay private before it stops being public at all? My words are mine…My thoughts are mine…Unless they aren’t!