Many Instagram users were shocked to suddenly see an endless stream of disturbing Reels on their feeds. Meta has acknowledged the issue, and claims to have fixed it. However, there’s been no explanation for what went wrong.
Instagram Users Are Seeing Disturbing Content
Millions of us waste hours of our lives watching endless short videos on social media platforms. Including Instagram Reels. And the last thing anyone wants (or expects) is a wall of disturbing content to flood our feeds, regardless of their past viewing habits or content settings.
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However, millions of Instagram users have reported this exact problem over the last couple of days. Reels containing sex, violence, and other disturbing content have been filling people’s personal Reels feeds, regardless of their Sensitive Content Control settings.
Meta has acknowledged the issue, and claims to have fixed it. However, some people claim to still be seeing sensitive content, and Meta merely told CNBC that it was a “mistake,” without any explanation for what went wrong.
The issue is that this wasn’t just sensitive content that is allowed on the platform for people who have opted to see it. This was graphic violent and sexual content that goes against Meta’s Community Standards.
Some are speculating that Instagram’s moderation team has gone on strike without offering any evidence. We do know that Meta as a whole has recently opted to reduce moderation , but that shouldn’t have led to illegal content making it on to its platforms.
To see less sensitive content, open Instagram and click your profile picture in the bottom-right. Then click the three lines in the top-right > Content Preferences > Sensitive Content, and tick Less.
While this won’t prevent sensitive content filling your feed if this issue rears its ugly head again, it may shield you from the worst of it. Essentially, do what you can to prevent disturbing content from appearing, and hope Instagram takes care of the rest.
Instagram May Spin Reels Off Into Its Own App
This issue has come to light at an odd time for Instagram, which is reported to be planning on spinning Reels off into its own app. According to a report from The Information, Adam Mosseri is openly discussing the project with staff.
This makes perfect sense given the fact that TikTok’s future in the United States is still far from assured. Instagram has already announced a CapCut alternative called Edits, with CapCut sharing the same parent company as TikTok. So launching a standalone TikTok alternative would be the obvious next step.
