On March 31st, Facebook introduced News Feed, a new tool to give users more control over what they see and how they share. This feature will enable you to control who can comment on any given public post through a menu of options ranging from anyone who can view the posts to only the people and Pages you tag. Meaning, the user has the power to invite and limit conversation and interactions on their own posts. These options also extend to public figures, creators or brands.

This tool is flexible, with easily adjustable options to change as interests and priorities evolve, and appears along the lines of safeguarding “to help you feel safe and engage in more meaningful conversations with your community,” stated in their newsroom.

Latest additions to the platforms include the Favorites and Feed Filter Bar, where you can control and prioritize posts from the friends and Pages you care about most in News Feed. Hopefully, this is a step away from algorithmic systems determining the news we consume, and perpetuating ultimately harmful filter bubbles. As users are handed over the option of more control, there’s less opportunity for algorithms to determine our news consumption.

This pre-selected personalization that is at the essence of filter bubbles creates echo chambers, distorting our understanding of reality and sheltering from varying perspectives. And we know to well that ignorance breeds hatred.

Perhaps the most meaningful update to the app’s existing control suite, is the “Why am I seeing this?” feature. Through which you’ll be able to tap on posts from friends, Pages and Groups, allowing for more transparency and context around the posts the app suggests to you and the reasons why they appear on your News Feed.

You can update what you want to see and how you share to your News Feed in your News Feed preferences and privacy settings in the Facebook app.