For months, Meta has been restricting content with LGBTQ-related hashtags from search and discovery under its “sensitive content” policy aimed at restricting “sexually suggestive content.”
Posts with LGBTQ+ hashtags including #lesbian, #bisexual, #gay, #trans, #queer, #nonbinary, #pansexial, #transwomen, #Tgirl, #Tboy, #Tgirlsarebeautiful, #bisexualpride, #lesbianpride, and dozens of others were hidden for any users who had their sensitive content filter turned on. Teenagers have the sensitive content filter turned on by default.
When teen users attempted to search LGBTQ terms they were shown a blank page and a prompt from Meta to review the platform’s “sensitive content” restrictions, which discuss why the app hides “sexually explicit” content.
Meta reversed the restrictions on LGBTQ search terms after User Mag reached out for comment, saying that it was in error. “These search terms and hashtags were mistakenly restricted,” a Meta spokesperson said. “It’s important to us that all communities feel safe and welcome on Meta apps, and we do not consider LGBTQ+ terms to be sensitive under our policies.”
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Under mounting pressure from lawmakers and amidst a moral panic about young people’s social media use, last year, Meta introduced a new set of “sensitive content” restrictions across Instagram, Facebook, and Threads, aimed at teenagers. “We will start to hide more types of content for teens on Instagram and Facebook,” the company said at the time.
In September, Meta doubled down, forcing users under the age of 18 to use “Instagram Teen Accounts,” a setting which could only be reversed by a parent or guardian. The goal of this change, in Meta’s words, was to “limit … the content [teenagers] see, and help ensure their time is well spent.”
These changes quickly resulted in LGBTQ+ content getting restricted across Meta apps. Meanwhile, heterosexual content, tradwife content, and content featuring straight cisgender couples (even those engaged in romantic activities) has flourished.
“Meta categorizing LGBTQ hashtags as ‘sensitive content’ is an alarming example of censorship that should concern everyone,” said Leanna Garfield, social media safety program manager at GLAAD.
Some LGBTQ teenagers and content creators attempted to sound the alarm about the issue, but their posts failed to get traction. For years, LGBTQ creators on Instagram have suffered shadow bans and had their content labeled as “non-recommendable.” The restrictions on searches, however, are more recent, coming into effect in the past few months. Meta said it was investigating to find out when the error began.
“A responsible and inclusive company would not build an algorithm that classifies some LGBTQ hashtags as ‘sensitive content,’ hiding helpful and age-appropriate content from young people by default,” a spokesperson for GLAAD said. “Regardless of if this was an unintended error, Meta should… test significant product updates before launch.”
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Several LGBQT teenagers I spoke to said that they weren’t even aware of the sensitive content restrictions, but said that they struggled to find other LGBTQ young people to connect with through Instagram.
“For many LGBTQ people, especially youth, platforms like Instagram are crucial for self-discovery, community building, and accessing supportive information,” Garfield said. “By limiting access to LGBTQ content, Instagram may be inadvertently contributing to the isolation and marginalization of LGBTQ users.”
The downranking and hiding of LGBTQ+ content comes as LGBTQ rights across the country are under attack.
On December 4th, the Supreme Court heard a major case on banning healthcare for trans youth. Trump has pledged to roll back protections for LGBTQ students, and right wing groups like the Heritage Foundation are working together with Democrats to dismantle civil liberties and restrict young people from accessing social media under dangerous proposed legislation such as the very poorly named Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).
KOSA co-sponsor Rep. Marsha Blackburn claimed that it’s essential to restrict teens access to social media to “protect minor children from the transgender [sic] in this culture and that influence.”
One of the most prominent voices pushing legislation like KOSA and boosting policies like Meta’s sensitive content restrictions is NYU Stern School of Business professor Jonathan Haidt, whose dubious book, The Anxious Generation falsely ties social media use to teen mental health issues in order to push a moral panic about kids and technology use. This moral panic is then used to justify harmful laws that restrict speech and civil liberties online, and do immense harm to marginalized LGBTQ youth.
“Meta categorizing LGBTQ hashtags as ‘sensitive content’ is an alarming example of censorship that should concern everyone”
Mark Zuckerberg recently dined at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and is seeking an “active role” in Trump tech policy as the two are “now warming to each other,” according to The Guardian.
The increased censorship of LGBTQ content online is already having devastating effects on young people. For queer teens who rely on social media to connect with their peers and find support, these policies are cutting off vital access to community and representation.
“Meta should not only stop suppressing LGBTQ content in this way, it should also clarify how and why [this error occurred],” said Garfield.
User Mag is a 100% reader-supported publication. To support my work, become a free or paid subscriber. I could not do this work without your support.
Also, we here will be pleased when people share their happiness. The poem makes good sense to me from what I see around me here in town, but it isn’t true of absolutely everyone and everywhere. Though I do strongly urge that people don’t disclose they’re travelling until they arrive back home! 🌞
Please watch this. This is Vaush. He points out that of the top left wing streamers. Streamers make an hour to 3 hour content on schedule. A lot of them clip their streams to smaller 10 minute clips or so that they can post. Of the top ten who many are right wing media? 9. Yes 9 out of 10 most popular streamers on social media which includes YouTube, Twitch, other smaller streaming services. The amount of money pumped into the right wing media is incredible as I have been saying. Look at the graph of incomes. The one that was leftist was Hessian and he doesn’t lean towards either democrats or republicans. He once worked for TYT and left to make millions streaming. This is about 20 minutes long but it describes the cumulative power of everyone left of center right now is drowned out (tRumped) by 5 to 10 Nazis from the right. If we want to win we must reach people where they are, and to do that we must be on the media they us. Much more covered in the video. Hugs
One of the most disturbing things about billionaire tech leader Elon Musk’s insistence on backing Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is that he’s the CEO of X, the massive social media platform which reported more than 170 million daily active users worldwide on its mobile app in February 2024.
Considering many of X’s Black users — who have made Black Twitter a thing of legend over the years — don’t believe that Trump has our best interests at heart, some have attempted to create other digital spaces for us to shed that X business, and they’re being helped by the likes of Kerry Washington.
Washington is throwing a major investment into SPILL, a Black-owned Twitter alternative created by Alphonzo Terrell, one of the nearly 4,000 employees laid off from the social media platform formerly known as Twitter when Musk acquired the company in November 2022 for $44 billion.
Rather than sulking over his job loss, Terrell linked with friend and former co-worker DeVaris Brown to formulate a plan to make something for us, by us.
“I called [Brown] and I said, ‘I think it’s time to build and if we do this together, I think this can be really successful,’” Terrell told CNN in a September 2022 interview.
Since its 2022 launch, SPILL has grown its customer base to more than 200,000 users. One of the most unique features of the app is SPILL Spades, a live, multiplayer Spades game the company says keeps users engaged for an average of 30 minutes.
In addition to her financial contribution, Washington has hosted live conversations on the platform known as “Tea Parties.” The actress says she’s proud to support a platform in which underrepresented groups are top of mind.
“In a digital world where marginalized groups, especially Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA folks, rarely feel prioritized, SPILL stands out,” Washington said in a statement. “I’m proud to be part of this community as both a user and an investor.”
Terrell says as the company keeps looking for ways to stand out, he is confident SPILL will make a big splash in the social media space.
This is the Kamala Harris rally in Atlanta, Georgia right now. It is PACKED she’s not scheduled to speak for another couple of hours. The country is excited for VP Harris! pic.twitter.com/S3lCqApbbw
BREAKING: The media might not say it, but Democrats are by far more enthusiastic about electing Vice President Kamala Harris as President than Republicans are about electing Donald Trump. Retweet so all Americans see the enthusiasm at Kamala’s rally today. pic.twitter.com/JO2lqfTpl0
Scottie's Playtime 