Meta confirms moderation errors on Instagram and threads as users report disappearing accounts and posts

Meta is trying to get a handle on a major moderation bug on its popular Instagram and Threads app.

Adam Mosseri recently confirmed via a comment how users complained about the widespread disappearance of accounts and messages. He said Meta was well aware of the situation and was trying to find a solution. Similarly, several other users spoke about how their messages disappeared and made their experience on the platform miserable.

Currently, the Instagram and Threads boss is responding directly to some user complaints when asked to explain the situation. Many people talked about how linking articles that were controversial in nature resulted in immediate account bans or deletions. They hope to find a solution soon as the team is currently investigating it.

In case you didn’t know, moderation continues to plague social media time and time again. Advocates are always concerned that apps aren’t doing enough to control misinformation and harmful content. But in some cases this seems excessive. For example, one user joked about dying online due to the scorching temperatures in her area. She was blocked from her own account, even if it was for a short period of time.

Meanwhile, some creators are talking about adding fact-checks with errors in political content. Other messages with weather warnings about the current hurricane system were also removed or blocked. It’s almost like doing something controversial gets you locked out of the platform.

According to social media expert Matt Navarra, it’s amazing how Meta takes this so lightly. His account on Threads was taken down for no good reason after he shared a real story about Tom Brady falling for a hoax related to Meta AI. After publicly complaining about the problem, he received an explanation from the app’s boss.

Some users are locked out of the platform because they are wrongly labeled as minors. Therefore, they are asked to show proof of their age through identity verification. But even if they do, their accounts will still not be restored, even after a period of one month.

All this shows that Meta is heavily dependent on AI, which means that only a small part of the moderation receives human attention. But don’t worry: AI’s lack of empathy means you’ll relish every inaccurate or absurd decision!

Image: DIW-Aigen

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