Seeing violent content on Instagram Reels? Meta says it’s a mistake, working on a fix

Of late many Instagram users have reported seeing disturbing and violent content in their Reels feed. Normally, Instagram suggests videos based on a user’s interests, but instead, some people were shown graphic and unsettling posts. Users took to other social media platforms to complain, saying their feeds were suddenly filled with violent images, even when they had enabled the highest level of moderation through Instagram’s “Sensitive Content Control” feature.

People reported seeing videos that included scenes of severe injuries, dead bodies, and violent attacks. Some of these posts were marked as “Sensitive Content,” but users were still able to view them. This led to frustration and concern, as Instagram is supposed to remove content that is extremely graphic or violent.

In response, Meta, the company that owns Instagram, apologized on Thursday and admitted there was a mistake. A spokesperson for Meta told CNBC, “We are fixing 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.” Meta has promised to correct the issue.

Meta’s policy is to protect users from disturbing images and remove highly violent or graphic content. This includes videos showing dismemberment, internal body parts, or burned bodies, as well as posts that make cruel comments about suffering. However, Meta does allow certain graphic content if it is meant to raise awareness about serious issues like human rights violations, war, or terrorism. In such cases, Instagram places warning labels on the posts to alert viewers before they watch them.