Threads and Instagram are in the midst of a ban fest as moderation spirals out of control
The Verge, an IT news site, reported that Meta's social networking services Threads and Instagram have been experiencing frequent issues with innocent posts and accounts being deleted or restricted.
Instagram and Threads moderation is out of control - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/9/24266096/instagram-threads-moderation-account-post-deleted-limited
The topic 'Threads moderation failures' has reportedly become a trending topic on Threads, with some users reporting that their accounts have been removed or restricted simply for linking to articles about controversial topics.
One Threads user reported that their account was temporarily locked after they joked about the San Francisco heat wave, saying, 'I want to die.'
Posted by @kylie.robisonView on Threads
Umar Shakir, a reporter for The Verge, is one of the users whose Instagram account has been restricted for being 'under 13' despite not being a child, and many others on social media have expressed similar complaints.
Just had my instagram account suspended because they don't allow people under the age of 13 on the app... pic.twitter.com/7iLcHCzo5k
— Ricky Babcock (@Ricky_Babcock) October 8, 2024
Other complaints include that the automated system mistakenly identified posts as 'political,' that accurate disaster information about hurricanes is being suppressed, and that posts containing 'cracker jacks' or 'saltines' are automatically blocked . The problem of people being blocked for mentioning crackers has come to be known as 'crackergate.'
In addition to this incident, a rumor has been spreading that posting 'goodbye Meta AI' will prevent your data from being used to train the AI . When social media consultant Matt Navarra explained this rumor, he said that his Threads account was downgraded.
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram and Threads, responded to Navarra by saying, 'We're looking into this...'
Posted by @mosseriView on Threads
