Meta released an apology regarding violent and graphic content that unexpectedly appeared in Instagram Reels. The company addressed the problem on Thursday when it explained that an internal system failure caused the issue before fixing the problem.
An internal error led to users viewing content in their Instagram Reels feed, which should not have been recommended. The Meta spokesperson issued an apology for the system failure to CNBC.
Social media users posted their worries because they found disturbing content despite having their Instagram “Sensitive Content Control” set to maximum. The quality of Meta’s content moderation system based on explicit content blocking received scrutiny because it was supposed to protect viewers from disturbing and violent media.
The Meta policy allows content showing extreme violence only when it functions to inform about human rights violations or conflicts. The content receives warning labels when it meets these criteria. Multiple users reported experiencing inappropriate explicit content through their Facebook feeds without sufficient moderation.
The incident took place during Meta’s ongoing work to modify its content moderation procedures. The company announced during January that its automated moderation system would concentrate on severe violations, which include terrorist activities, child exploitation, and fraudulent activities. The company will handle minor violations through user reports instead of using proactive enforcement methods. Some experts believe the recent error could be linked to Meta’s broader policy adjustments, which include both content demotion reductions and political speech increases.
The workforce reduction at Meta included 21,000 employees during 2022 and 2023, which negatively impacted their content moderation teams. The company depends more intensely on AI and machine learning tools as part of its operations, while this shift may have led to the oversight. The case demonstrates the difficulties that exist in maintaining safe social media platforms alongside unrestricted platform content.
