Many social media users are concerned about online privacy and want to minimize the tracking and data collection done by social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Both platforms—owned by Meta—collect large amounts of user data to target advertisements at their users.

The company’s move to the right spearheaded by CEO Mark Zuckerberg ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump is causing a user exodus from many of Meta’s platforms. But what do we know?

Google searches for how to cancel and delete Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts have seen rises in the U.S. since Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg

For some 33 percent of the population, that source is Facebook, according to Pew. For another 20 percent it’s Instagram.

Instagram, Facebook, and Threads are down for users in the US, with Instagram most affected. Downdetector shows over 10,000 reports, and 67% of users face issues with the Instagram app. Meta's official status page indicates no issues with these services,

Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube are getting ready to welcome TikTok users, as the Supreme Court upheld a law that effectively bans the Chinese-owned app from the United States.

If you don't want other people to find you on social media, here's how to go about it: Including instructions for Instagram, Facebook, and X.

Meta’s announcement last week of sweeping changes to how it filters content rightly drew extensive coverage focusing on how the world’s largest social media company is aligning itself politically with the incoming Trump administration.

Fact-checkers who were put in place in the wake of Trump's 2016 election have proven to be "too politically biased" and have destroyed "more trust than they've created," particularly in the United States, Zuckerberg said. "The recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point towards once again prioritizing speech," Zuckerberg said.

Learn how to permanently delete Facebook, Instagram, or Messenger accounts. Step-by-step guides for iPhone, Android, and desktop.

Reports of an Instagram outage in the U.S. on Wednesday morning dropped significantly, Downdetector.com showed, in a sign that the issue has been largely resolved for many users.

You’ll find Meta AI front and center in Meta’s apps: In the Facebook Messenger app, for example, tap Chats and you’ll see a Meta AI input box right at the top, above your real life friends and family members. Tap inside that box, and you can start chatting about whatever topic you like. You can also tap Meta AI on the tab bar at the bottom.