TikTok users are mobilizing to block the Facebook account on the app after rumors circulated that Meta purchased the company. Some TikTokers claimed that doing so reset their For You Page after the feed allegedly changed when the platform came back online in the U.S. following a brief shutdown period.
The social media platform went dark in the U.S. for several hours due to the ban before TikTok worked out an agreement with President Donald Trump that brought it back for a 90-day extension. Although parent company ByteDance might sell to a U.S.-based entity, there has been no confirmation that Meta is the buyer.
How to block Facebook on TikTok
Outrage over the rumors that Meta already moved to acquire the video social media platform or is in the process of doing so drove many users to ask, "how do I block Facebook on TikTok?" There is, in fact, a Facebook account on the app, and its existence is fueling the idea that Meta snatched it up.
However, a quick search with the Wayback Machine shows that this account has existed since at least March of 2022. It doesn't appear to have posted any videos since then, but still has over 457,000 followers.
@jenniferbrofer #tiktokban #blockfacebook ♬ original sound - يوسف السديس
Regardless, videos showing how to block the Facebook account on TikTok are trending hard. Beyond spite, users are encouraging each other to do this based on the rumor that doing so will change or "fix" the FYP feed. This trend has already spread to Reddit, where subs are also conspiring to block links to X.
'It completely reverted my FYP'
Some TikTok users are pushing claims that their For You Page changed following the temporary U.S. blackout. After it came back, rumors surged alleging that the app was suppressing certain content and hashtags, especially videos expressing leftist ideas or criticizing Meta or Trump.
User @feathershere posted a video on Monday claiming that she fixed this issue by blocking the TikTok Facebook account.
@feathershere That’s suspicious…thats weird #facebook ♬ Lucifer's Waltz - Secession Studios
"If you're back on TikTok and you're like me and you're like 'hmm, something seems a little bit off,' go block Facebook," she says. "It completely reverted my FYP right back to what I used to be getting, and if that's not a little suspicious, hmm... Anyway."
Many commenters accused this user of contributing to conspiracy theories, though others claim that they experienced something similar with their own feeds. Dozens of other videos also state that blocking the Facebook account refreshed their FYP.
It's possible that this refresh happened because TikTok's algorithm detected a change in their preferences based on the block and adjusted their feeds accordingly. There is also a way to manually reset one's feed with a feature introduced in March 2023. Then again, users may simply be experiencing confirmation bias after blocking the Facebook account.
TikTok itself has yet to comment on this phenomenon.
Did Meta buy TikTok?
Neither TikTok nor Meta have commented on any discussion between them about a sale of the app. Barring some secret backroom deal happening for some reason, it appears that the rumors are false.
Although ByteDance said in April 2024 that they would "prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it," their reported talks with Trump and rumors that various billionaires are bidding to purchase it—including Elon Musk and MrBeast—suggest they may have changed their minds. However, no buyer has come forward to claim a deal is in the works yet.
In addition to discovering that a Facebook account exists on TikTok, many users came to believe in the Meta sale rumors because of a claim that CEO Shou Zi Chew removed the "CEO" from his account's bio. However, it appears that this title was missing long before Jan. 19.
These false rumors plus accusations that the app was punishing content critical of Meta, Facebook, Instagram, or Mark Zuckerberg combined to convince some that the sale must be real. Good luck convincing them otherwise.
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The post TikTok users think blocking Facebook changes their FYP—here’s what we know appeared first on The Daily Dot.
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