CALIFORNIA: Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has apologized after users reported that the platform auto-translated the word “Palestinian” along with an Arabic phrase to “Praise be to God, Palestinian terrorists are fighting for their freedom.”
The issue came to light when a TikTok user pointed out the translation problem, which was verified by an Instagram user conducting tests.
The incident stirred concerns about open bias and discrimination against Palestinians, with users also accusing Instagram of “shadow banning” pro-Palestinian content during the Israel-Gaza conflict. Shadow banning restricts the visibility of an account or its content to other users, allegedly diminishing the reach of posts related to the conflict.
Meta’s Bias Towards Palestinian Users
Meta, in response, acknowledged the translation issue and issued an apology for the offensive label being added to users’ profiles. They stated that it was a bug and not an intentional action, stating that the error was promptly rectified after detection.
Additionally, Instagram users had raised concerns about their posts referencing the conflict receiving fewer views than other content and their accounts being harder to find in searches. Meta admitted to a bug that impacted the reach of reels and re-shared posts in Instagram stories, leading to reduced visibility.
Meta reassured users that measures had been implemented to address harmful content on their platforms during the Israel-Hamas conflict and denied allegations of suppressing anyone’s voice intentionally. This incident is not the first time Meta has faced accusations of suppressing pro-Palestinian content. In 2021, Instagram was accused of removing videos, pictures, and commentary related to the crisis.
