Meta apologises after Instagram Reels flooded with graphic content: Report | Technology News
Meta apologised on Thursday, February 27, after an “error” left Instagram users exposed to a barrage of violent and graphic content on their personal ‘Reels’ page.
“We have fixed an error that caused some users to see content in their Instagram Reels feed that should not have been recommended. We apologize for the mistake,” a Meta spokesperson was quoted as saying by CNBC.
The apology comes after several Instagram users reported seeing an influx of violent and “not safe for work” content in their feeds. Some users said that such content was shown to them despite Instagram’s “Sensitive Content Control” being enabled to its highest moderation setting.
Meta’s policy states that it removes particularly violent or graphic content to protect users from disturbing imagery. The content prohibited under its policies include videos “depicting dismemberment, visible innards or charred bodies” and “sadistic remarks towards imagery depicting the suffering of humans and animals.”
While graphic content that helps users raise awareness about important issues such as human rights abuses is allowed, such content may carry warning labels.
This development comes nearly two months after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a major shift in its approach toward content moderation, which was in alignment with the new Trump administration.
The social media giant said it was ending its partnerships with fact-checkers in the US and switching to a Community Notes system, similar to Elon Musk-owned X.
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Zuckerberg also announced a slew of changes to Meta’s ‘Hateful Conduct’ policy that covers content related to gender and immigration.
For instance, the company now allows “allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words like ‘weird.’” It has further removed restrictions on speech about topics like immigration.
