An error in Instagram's sensitive content filter has been restricting LGBTQ+ content from those using a number of broad search terms and hashtags. Anyone with sensitive content control turned on was limited from seeing LGBTQ+ posts and videos -- including all teenagers on the platform, for whom Instagram automatically turns on this setting.
Sensitive content is a designation social media companies like Instagram use to refer to posts that could contain "offensive or upsetting" topics, including "sexually explicit or suggestive" content. Users who choose to limit or restrict sensitive content aren't able to see those posts in their Explore feeds, search results or other recommendations. But the restricted hashtags and search terms were very broad, including #gay, #lesbian, #trans, #queer, #bisexual, #nonbinary and #transwomen among others, according to User Mag, which first reported on the news Monday.
Instagram's parent company Meta confirmed to CNET that these search terms and hashtags were "mistakenly restricted" and that the error is now fixed. Despite the incident, a Meta spokesperson said that the company does not consider LGBTQ+ content to be sensitive under its policies.
Instagram first introduced the sensitive content filter in 2021. During the lead-up to the 2024 US presidential election, Instagram automatically restricted political content from everyone's feeds. Later in the year, Instagram launched teen accounts and announced it would be rolling over all accounts belonging to teens 13 to 17 years old. These teen accounts were designed to include a number of restrictions and protections, including automatically enabling the sensitive content setting. It's unclear whether these specific LGBTQ+ search terms have been restricted since the teen account rollout in September.
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