Meta-owned Instagram is under scanner as several users have been complaining about violent and disturbing content flooding their feeds. Many users have encountered graphic videos and NSFW (not safe for work) material on their Instagram reels, even with 'Sensitive Content Control' enabled.
On social media platform X, users voiced complaints about the issue. Some shared screen recordings of their feeds, showing 'sensitive content' warnings on most of the Reels they scrolled through.
"Bro, what is happening on Instagram reels. I saw about 24 people getting killed in the span of six minutes," a user claimed.
Bro what is happening on Instagram reels rn. I saw about 24 people getting killed in the span of 6 minutes😭🙏
February 26, 2025Some users shared memes and movie clips containing graphic content to highlight the look of their Instagram Reels feeds.
Instagram Reels today 💀
February 26, 2025
pic.twitter.com/r1oIIeaE4NHas anyone of you noticed that Instagram is showing you weird reels or content today? pic.twitter.com/AniRfgodZV
February 26, 2025Sensitive Content Control settings allow users to regulate the occurrence of sensitive content on Instagram feeds. This feature is especially aimed at users aged 13-17, one of the platform's core audiences.
Users are tagging Meta, questioning whether this is a glitch or whether the company has rolled out a new algorithm change that has caused the issue.
Bro what is happening on Instagram reels rn. I saw about 24 people getting killed in the span of 6 minutes😭🙏
February 26, 2025instagram reels today for some reason pic.twitter.com/5cirUjoAxL
February 27, 2025Meta Response
According to a CNBC report, Meta issued an apology on Thursday and said that it had fixed the "error" that resulted in users reporting violent and NSFW content.
"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 said in a statement shared with CNBC.
How Is Content Moderated On Instagram?
Typically, social media platforms like Instagram boast about their content moderation policies. However, these policies often fall short in practice. To enhance moderation, Instagram relies on both artificial intelligence and human reviewers to detect and remove content that violates its policies. "Thousands of reviewers around the world focus on content that is most harmful to Instagram users," the platform said in one of its blogs.
For sensitive content, Instagram displays a warning and limits the visibility of certain posts. This helps its users to avoid content they may find disturbing. "This warning appears when viewing a post in Feed or on someone's profile."
How Is Content Recommended on Instagram?
According to the platform's one of the blogs shared in November, Instagram is testing out a new feature to shape the user's experience through improved recommendations. Once rolled out, the new tool will let people curate what they see in their recommendations. "Your recommendations will start to personalise again over time, showing new content based on the content and accounts you interact with," Instagram said.
Currently, Instagram's recommendation features focus on showing relevant and valuable content to each user. These recommendations are in addition to what the users are already following on the platform. Instagram studies user behaviour to personalise recommendations, handing out unique content to users based on their interests, it said.
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