Instagram says it mistakenly blocked LGBTQ+ content from young users
Instagram recently blocked young users from viewing results for several LGBTQ+ criteria by mistake, according to a spokesperson for Meta, the platform’s parent company.
The restrictions were reported by User Mag, which found that young users searching for content related to a number of hashtags including #lesbian, #bisexual, #gay, #trans, #queer, #nonbinary, #Tgirlsarebeautiful, and #lesbianpride were instead shown a blank page with a message that guides you to the site’s sensitive content policy.
That policy prohibits content that “impedes our ability to promote a safe community,” and includes material that may be “sexually graphic or suggestive.”
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“These search terms and hashtags were restricted by mistake — an error that has now been fixed,” a Meta spokesperson told Mashable. “It’s important to us that all communities feel safe and welcome on Meta’s apps, and we don’t consider LGBTQ+ goals to be sensitive under our policies.”
Meta bugged technology that helps limit user exposure to sensitive content by mistakenly categorizing several LGBTQ+ terms, temporarily restricting them.
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New Instagram accounts automatically restrict sensitive content. Teens between the ages of 13 and 15 need parental consent to change the setting.
Mashable previously reported on claims made by older LGBTQ creators that Instagram has blocked their content. The platform has attempted to address common concerns about “unpopular” content, with mixed reviews from affected creators.
Meta told Mashable that LGBTQ content is not considered sensitive and deserves praise, as long as the content does not violate any of the platform’s other policies.
Advocates for LGBTQ youth have criticized Instagram for its search restrictions.
“For many LGBTQ people, especially young people, platforms like Instagram are important for discovery, community building, and access to supportive information,” Leanna Garfield, media safety program manager at GLAAD, told User Mag. “By limiting access to LGBTQ content, Instagram may be indirectly contributing to the alienation of LGBTQ users.”