A massive surge of bans and suspensions on Instagram has led users to take to social media in protest. According to TechCrunch, the number of accounts banned on the photo and video sharing platform has notably risen in recent weeks, as indicated by remarks on X, discussions on the Instagram subreddit, and a Change.org petition that has garnered over 4,000 signatures.
The reasons behind Instagram’s abrupt decision to ban thousands of users remain ambiguous, but many speculate that the use of AI for moderation by Meta is responsible.
What is the reason for Instagram’s user bans?
“The AI moderation system of Meta is deactivating thousands of accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp without justification,” the authors of the Change.org petition assert in their summary. “Users are being denied access to their personal memories, messages, and business profiles—often without any explanation and no viable means to appeal. We urge Meta to rectify its faulty systems and treat its users with fairness and respect.”
As numerous banned Instagram users have pointed out, contacting Instagram’s support team is impossible without a Meta Verified subscription. Regardless of whether these bans are intentional or not, only those who are paying Meta $14.99 monthly (or more) have access to Meta Verified Support. Others are left to voice their frustrations on Reddit.
“Out of the blue, I logged into Facebook and it logged me out,” shared one user, “then I opened Instagram and encountered a message stating that I had 180 days to challenge my account suspension due to community guideline violations that are clearly false.”
“We need to take this matter to court… I’m so stressed,” another user replied.
The positive news is that some individuals who faced bans are seeing their accounts reinstated. One user described that their account was banned last week. After reaching out to [email protected] and [email protected], they managed to recover their account over the weekend. It remains uncertain whether their outreach influenced the reinstatement.
