Despite Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META), formerly Facebook, promising to provide an age-appropriate experience for young users, it has been revealed that Instagram‘s algorithm continues to recommend sexually explicit content to accounts of teenagers.
What Happened: The Wall Street Journal and academic researcher Laura Edelson conducted tests over seven months, ending in June, which revealed that Instagram’s algorithm consistently suggests adult-oriented content to minors. This occurs within minutes of the teenagers’ first log-in.
These tests, which involved setting up new accounts with listed ages of 13, showed that the content recommended by Instagram’s algorithm quickly escalated from moderately racy content to adult sex content creators. This was observed within a short time frame of less than 20 minutes of watching Reels, Instagram’s curated video stream.
Meta, however, dismissed these findings as unrepresentative of the overall teen experience on Instagram. The company’s spokesman, Andy Stone, stated that their efforts to prevent the recommendation of inappropriate content to minors are ongoing. “This was an artificial experiment that doesn't match the reality of how teens use Instagram," the spokesman said.
Snapchat and TikTok’s short-video products underwent similar tests but did not yield the same level of sexualized content for underage users.
Internal research at Meta, which was not disclosed earlier, also identified similar issues. In 2021, the company’s safety staff ran tests similar to those of Edelson and the Journal, with comparable results. A separate 2022 internal analysis found that Instagram shows more pornography, gore, and hate speech to young users than to adults, as per the report.
Why It Matters: Recent changes in content policies across social media platforms highlight the ongoing struggle to protect minors from inappropriate material. For instance, Twitch, owned by Amazon.com Inc., recently revised its sexual content policies. The platform now allows certain previously banned material, provided it includes a warning label. This change came after criticism over inconsistent moderation.
Similarly, Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, introduced an opt-in mechanism for adult content to shield minors. This policy overhaul aims to prevent users under 18 from accessing explicit material, reflecting growing regulatory pressure to safeguard children online.
However, X has also faced criticism for the surge in explicit content. A report highlighted the overwhelming presence of adult content on the platform, correlating it with reduced content moderation under Musk’s ownership. Additionally, the adult platform OnlyFans has faced over 120 police complaints regarding non-consensual content sharing.
Price Action: Meta Platforms Inc.’s stock last closed at $499.49 on Tuesday, while it was up 0.97% in premarket trading on Thursday, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
Image Via Unsplash
This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Kaustubh Bagalkote
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