Meta, the parent company of Instagram, issued an apology for a technical error that led to some users encountering violent and graphic videos in their Instagram Reels feed. A spokesperson for Meta acknowledged the mistake and stated that the issue has been resolved.
Reports emerged on Tuesday of Instagram users being exposed to disturbing content, including videos depicting violence and death, within their Reels feed. Many of these videos were labeled as 'sensitive content' by the platform.
While Meta did not provide specific details on the cause of the glitch, the incident occurred amidst the company's efforts to enhance short-form video engagement on its platforms. This initiative comes at a time when rival platform TikTok faces uncertainty in the United States due to regulatory concerns.
Instagram has been introducing features to attract users who may be considering alternatives to TikTok. These features include extended video time limits and a 'tap to pause' option for Reels.
In addition to these efforts, Meta is preparing to launch a new video creation app called Edits, which is aimed at competing with popular apps like CapCut owned by TikTok's parent company, ByteDance.
Meta has recently implemented changes to its content moderation policies, including a shift away from fact checkers in favor of a user-generated 'Community Notes' model. The company has also adjusted its automated content removal systems to focus on severe violations such as terrorism, child exploitation, drugs, fraud, and scams.
Despite these changes, a Meta spokesperson clarified that the technical error leading to the display of violent videos was unrelated to the recent moderation adjustments.
