Instagram users complain of mass bans, pointing finger at AI | TechCrunch

Instagram users have for weeks complained about a significant increase in accounts being mistakenly banned or suspended. Many suspect, without direct evidence, that the issues may have to do with the use of AI automation.

Reached for comment, Meta has so far not offered an on-record statement.

According to a growing number of social media posts, including on sites like Reddit and X, Instagram users report that their accounts were banned even though they had not violated the company’s terms of service or other policies. In addition, when they submitted an appeal to have their account reviewed, some claimed they received no response.

Others pointed out that they have no other way to directly contact a member of Meta’s support team, leaving them at a loss for what to do next.

“I’ve already submitted multiple appeals, uploaded my ID, and tried reaching out to Meta through all the official channels, but I’ve been completely ignored. It feels like I’m shouting into a void,” wrote one Reddit user (u/Dyrovicious) about having their personal Instagram account banned.

(We should note that Meta offers Verified account subscriptions for creators and businesses that offer priority access to customer service.)

The Instagram Reddit community’s top posts are nearly entirely focused on the ban wave and have been for weeks. On X, users are flooding Instagram’s replies with pleas for the company to do something about the account suspensions or, at the very least, acknowledge the problem publicly. A Change.org petition about the bans now has over 4,000 signatures.

The situation has gotten so tense that some are now threatening to file a class action lawsuit against Meta over the bans.

Of course, large internet companies will inevitably encounter a certain number of false positives due to their reliance on automated moderation systems, which occasionally make mistakes. However, an excessive number of bans is something that’s become a more recent focus — and one where many immediately suspect AI may be at fault.

For instance, Pinterest earlier this year was facing a similar problem with mass bans, which saw users complaining that their actions and posts hadn’t violated the company’s policies. One group of users had also threatened legal action over the bans at the time. Pinterest in May finally admitted that the mass bans were a mistake caused by an “internal error,” but wouldn’t pinpoint the exact cause. The company claimed that the error was not due to AI moderation, though.

In Instagram’s case, the issues aren’t just affecting personal use of the app but also people’s livelihoods, as businesses have been caught up in the mass bans.

“This is my livelihood, my full-time job. I heavily rely on Instagram for leads,” wrote one Reddit user (u/Paigejust) about their suspension.

“This ban has directly affected my business and all of the hard work and branding that I’ve spent countless hours pouring into my business, my gym, and my students,” a gym owner on Reddit (u/CourtShaw) shared.

Without access to internal company data, it’s hard from the outside to tell whether recent bans represent an uptick in the number of typical false positives or not. To date, Meta has not publicly acknowledged the issue.

In addition, some of the Instagram users affected have reported that they’re being falsely banned for serious offenses, including CSE (child sexual exploitation). They pointed out that this is a career and reputation-ruining accusation, leaving them highly concerned.