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company

Instagram

Photo and video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. Founded by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger in October 2010. Acquired by Facebook for $1 billion in 2012 when it had 13 employees and 30 million users. As of 2024, Instagram has over 2 billion monthly active users and is a major platform for visual content, influencer marketing, and e-commerce through Instagram Shopping. Features include Stories, Reels, IGTV, and direct messaging.

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Acquired by Meta Platforms since Sep 6, 2012

Track Record

negligent

BBC data analysis in December 2024 showed Palestinian news outlets saw 77% decline in engagement after October 7, 2023, while Israeli outlets saw 37% increase. Leaked internal documents revealed Instagram's algorithm was adjusted within a week of October 7th, lowering the moderation confidence threshold for Palestinian content from 80% to 25%, causing significantly more removals.

A December 2023 HRW report found Meta's content moderation systematically silenced pro-Palestine voices. Of 1,050 cases reviewed, 1,049 involved peaceful pro-Palestine content being censored while only 1 case involved pro-Israel content. Documented issues included content removals, account suspensions, shadow banning, and broken appeal mechanisms affecting users in 60+ countries.

negligent

Former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen leaked internal documents to Congress and testified on October 5, 2021, revealing that Meta's own research found 13.5% of teen girls said Instagram worsens suicidal thoughts and 17% said it contributes to eating disorders. Internal presentation stated 'we make body image issues worse for one in three teen girls.' Research showed Instagram's algorithm can lead children from innocuous content to anorexia-promoting content quickly.

reactive

Following Frances Haugen whistleblower revelations and public outcry, Instagram announced in September 2021 it was pausing work on Instagram Kids, a platform intended for users under 13. The app would have targeted pre-teens despite internal research showing Instagram harms teen mental health. The pause came after intense criticism from lawmakers, child safety advocates, and parents.

negligent

Tech Transparency Project investigation in October 2021 found Instagram's recommendation algorithm pushed pro-anorexia and bulimia content to users interested in weight loss, recommending accounts with goal weights as low as 77 pounds. Fair Play for Kids reported one-third of Instagram's pro-eating disorder audience is underage (as young as 9-10 years old) with over 500,000 followers. Meta's 2023-2024 internal research confirmed teens who felt bad about their bodies saw significantly more eating disorder content. Company aware since 2019 internal presentation.