Instagram making changes to its algorithm after it was accused of censoring pro-Palestinian content
Instagram making changes to its algorithm after it was accused of censoring pro-Palestinian content
Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, has reportedly changed its algorithm in response to complaints from a group of its employees that pro-Palestinian content was not viewable by users during the Gaza conflict. Instagram typically prioritizes original content in its stories over reposted content, but the company confirmed to The Verge on Sunday that it will now give both equal weight.
According to BuzzFeed News and the Financial Times, the Instagram employee group had made numerous appeals regarding content that had been mistakenly removed by Instagram's automated moderation, such as posts about the al-Asqa mosque. According to the Financial Times, the employees did not believe the censorship was intentional, but one stated that "moderating at scale is biased against any marginalized groups."
The change is not solely in response to concerns about pro-Palestinian content, a Facebook spokesperson told The Verge in an email. The company recognized that the way the app functioned—buoying up posts it believes its users care about most—led people to believe the app was censoring certain points of view or topics. “To be absolutely clear, this is not the case,” the spokesperson stated. “This was true for any post that was re-shared in stories, regardless of its subject.”
Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have all been criticized in recent weeks for how they have surfaced — or not surfaced — content related to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Twitter restricted the account of a Palestinian writer earlier this month, which it later admitted was done "in error." And Instagram ended up apologizing after a “technical bug” prevented many accounts from posting Palestine-related content for several hours on May 6th.
In Conclusion
Instagram reports that it has repeatedly heard from users who express a preference for original stories from close friends over people who reshare other people's photos and posts. That is why the spokesperson stated that it prioritized original stories. “However, there has been an increase in the number of people resharing posts — not just now, but in the past as well — and we've seen a greater impact on the reach of these posts than expected,” the spokesperson said. “Stories that reshare feed posts are not achieving the reach expected, which is a negative experience.”
According to the spokesperson, Instagram continues to believe that users want to see more original stories and is exploring new tools to help focus stories on original content.
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