Instagram Apologizes For Promoting Dieting Posts To People With Eating Disorders
Image via wichayada suwanachun / Shutterstock.com
Instagram has apologized for a mistake that has led its algorithm to promote harmful diet content to people with eating disorders.
The social media platform had been recommending terms including “fasting” and “appetite suppressant,” which users fear could lead vulnerable people to relapse.
Facebook, which owns Instagram, told the BBC that the suggestions were triggered by a new search functionality.
A spokesperson for Facebook said, “We recently rolled out a new search functionality on Instagram beyond hashtags and usernames, to help you more easily discover and explore content you’re most interested in. As part of this new feature, when you tap on the search bar, we’ll suggest topics you may want to search for.
“Those suggestions, as well as the search results themselves, are limited to general interests, and weight loss should not have been one of them,” they added.
The company said the harmful terms have now been removed and the issue with the search feature has been resolved.
Content that promotes disorders is banned from Instagram, while posts advertising weight-loss products are supposed to be hidden from users known to be under 18. However, the error shows that policies alone can’t control the platform’s algorithms.
An Instagram influencer named Lauren Black said that whenever she used this app, she would be shown content relating to calorie count and dieting. Many people search for recovery tips for eating disorders but they find some terrible stuff on this platform that could be much damaging for their health.
Hope Virgo, who is an eating disorder awareness campaigner, said that the algorithm is still prioritizing diet-related posts, and that many people with a history of eating disorders are still being recommended damaging content by the platform. However, Instagram claims that it only promotes the discussion of fitness and healthy diets in the app’s Explore section.
[via Insider, cover image via wichayada suwanachun / Shutterstock.com]
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