Tucker Carlson has more than 3.7 million followers on Instagram and nearly 13 million on X. The larger following on X may be due to it being perceived as a less censorious platform, where Carlson frequently uploads episodes of his new show. Another factor may also explain the difference in follower numbers.
Ashton DeGroot, social media content coordinator at Blaze Media, noted that following Carlson on Instagram isn’t straightforward. A quick search for Carlson didn’t immediately show his verified account. Instead, results were flooded with impersonators and fan accounts. Only by entering his exact handle, @TuckerCarlson, did DeGroot find Carlson’s verified profile. Upon locating it, Instagram presented a final barrier by urging users to reconsider following him.
The prompt stated, “Are you sure you want to follow tuckercarlson?” It continued by warning that the account had repeatedly posted false information or violated Community Guidelines. Blaze News found no such warnings when test-following accounts of various liberal personalities and publications known for spreading misinformation.
For instance, no similar prompt appeared when following Newsweek, which recently and falsely reported a partnership between Carlson and a Russian news channel. Nor did such a warning show up for Jussie Smollett, who fabricated a story about being attacked by Trump supporters.
“I’ve never seen this warning on any account before,” DeGroot told Blaze News. “After following over 100 accounts for a Blaze Media project, Tucker’s was the only one with this alert.”
When asked about Instagram’s suppression of Carlson, Neil Patel, co-founder and CEO of the Tucker Carlson Network, commented that Carlson’s large, independent audience threatens established power. Patel suggested this might be why Instagram discourages users from engaging with Carlson’s posts.
DeGroot believes Instagram’s tactics might deter undecided users from following Carlson but noted that many familiar with Carlson might resist such efforts. He also expressed concern that conservative voices could increasingly be pushed out of mainstream platforms.
DeGroot urged followers to subscribe directly to content creators to avoid censorship and maintain access to unfiltered information. Blaze News reached out to Facebook for specifics on Carlson’s alleged false information and the effectiveness of these suppression measures but did not receive a response.
Instagram and its parent company have previously labeled Carlson’s content as false. In 2020, Carlson interviewed Chinese virologist Li-Meng Yan, who suggested that COVID-19 was lab-made. Despite growing evidence supporting this theory, Instagram quickly flagged the interview as “False Information.”
