Don’t like your Facebook feed? Meta wants to know what you want to see instead

If you’ve ever scrolled through your Facebook feed and wondered why you’re suddenly inundated with weird AI-generated celebrity bait and posts from cast iron skillet enthusiasts (just me?), Meta has a new tool that might help. The company is rolling out a new algorithm personalization feature that aims to make it easier for users to explain what they do and don’t want to see in their recommendations.

With the update, you can dive into specific feed posts and Reels to access a new “your algorithm” menu. From there, you can add topics specific to your interests and your “not interested” list. There is also an area where Meta invites you to describe in your own words what you want to see in your feed.

The update mirrors a similar change that happened on Instagram earlier this year. The update is possible, Meta says, because it now uses large language models in its ranking systems. Instead of simply “inferring what you’re interested in from what you interact with on Facebook,” the company explains, “LLMs can integrate interests, context, and intent behind natural language, unlocking an algorithm you can actually talk to.”

The change hasn’t been deployed to my app yet, so I haven’t been able to try it out yet. The Instagram version of the feature had some limitations, however. It didn’t let me add “posts from people I follow” as one of my interests or request fewer ads. Given Meta’s previous efforts to eliminate the amount of spam and engagement bait in the Facebook feed, I’m curious if users will be able to request more holistic changes, like “less AI-generated content” or “more Reddit copypasta.” At the very least, I can’t wait to finally be able to tell Facebook that I have no particular interest in cast iron skillets.