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Meta apologizes for error that exposed some Instagram users to violent content

By
Kate Gibson
Reporter, MoneyWatch
Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York, where she covers business and consumer finance.
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Kate Gibson

/ CBS News

Meta is apologizing for a mistake that resulted in graphic and violent imagery appearing in the Reels feeds of some Instagram users.

"We have fixed an error that caused some users to see content in their Instagram Reels feed that should not have been recommended," a Meta spokesperson said Thursday in a statement, without offering details on the nature of the problem. 

The apology came a day after multiple Instagram users reported receiving content recommendations labeled as "not safe for work"  on their Reels tabs in the form of short-form videos showing gore and violence and marked with a "sensitive content" label.

Meta tries to protect users from disturbing content and removes especially graphic or violent material, according to company . 

The error follows a change in Meta's policy in January to end its third-party fact-checking program and replace it with a community-driven system similar to used by Elon Musk's X social media platform. 

Edited by Alain Sherter

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