The Wall Street Journal

Meta Apologizes for Error That Flooded Instagram With Violent Content

Some Instagram users’ Reels feeds were filled with graphic videos of people getting killed or maimed Wednesday

Violent videos were recommended on some Instagram users’ Reels tab on Wednesday.
Violent videos were recommended on some Instagram users’ Reels tab on Wednesday. Photo: /Bloomberg News

Meta apologized Wednesday night for what it said was an “error” that led to graphic and violent videos flooding the feeds of a vast number of Instagram users, including minors.

The videos, which were recommended on some users’ Reels tab, included people who appeared to have been shot to death and run over by vehicles. Some of the recommended videos had “sensitive content” warnings on them while others didn’t.

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