Instagram hides some posts that mention abortion
WASHINGTON -
Instagram is blocking posts that mention abortion from public view, in some cases requiring its users to confirm their age before letting them view posts that offer up information about the procedure.
Over the last day, several Instagram accounts run by abortion rights advocacy groups have found their posts or stories hidden with a warning that described the posts as "sensitive content." Instagram said it was working to fix the problem Tuesday, describing it as a "bug."
In one example, Instagram covered a post on a page with more than 25,000 followers that shared text reading: "Abortion in America How You Can Help." The post went on to encourage followers to donate money to abortion organizations and to protest the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to strip constitutional protections for abortion.
The post was slapped with a warning from Instagram that covered the post, reading "This photo may contain graphic or violent content."
Instagram's latest snafu follows an Associated Press report that Facebook and Instagram were promptly deleting posts that offered to mail out abortion pills in states that restrict their use. The tech platforms said they were deleting the posts because they violated policies against selling or gifting certain products, including pharmaceuticals, drugs and firearms.
Yet, the AP's review found that similar posts offering to mail a gun or marijuana were not removed by Facebook. The company did not respond to questions about the discrepancy.
Berlin photographer Zoe Noble runs the Instagram page that had its post referencing abortion blocked for viewing. The page, which celebrates women who decide not to have children, has been live for over a year. Monday was the first time a post mentioning abortion was restricted by Instagram, although Noble has mentioned it many times before.
"I was really confused because we've never had this happen before, and we've talked about abortion before," Noble said. "I was really shocked that the word abortion seemed to be flagged."
The platform offers no way for users to dispute the restriction.
The AP identified nearly a dozen other posts that mentioned the word "abortion" and were subsequently covered up by Instagram. All of the posts were informational in nature, and none of the posts featured photos of abortions. An Instagram post by an AP reporter that asked people if they were experiencing the problem was also covered by the company on Tuesday, and required users to enter their age in order to view it.
The AP inquired about the problem on Tuesday morning. Hours later, Instagram's communication department acknowledged the problem on Twitter, describing it as a glitch. A spokesman for Instagram-owner Meta Platforms Inc. said in an email that the company does not place age restrictions around its abortion content.
"We're hearing that people around the world are seeing our `sensitivity screens,' on many different types of content when they shouldn't be. We're looking into this bug and working on a fix now," the company tweeted.
Tech companies like Meta can hide details about how posts or keywords have been promoted or hidden from view, said Brooke Erin Duffy, a professor at Cornell University who studies social media.
"This can all take place behind the scenes, and it can be attributed to a glitch," Duffy said. "We don't know what happened. That's what's chilling about this."
RISKIN REPORTS
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Help on the way for central Newfoundland fire Premier says is largest since 1961
The rapid growth of a long-burning forest fire in central Newfoundland has triggered a state of emergency in the area and the expansion of an outdoor fire ban to the entire province.
Air Canada denying passenger compensation claims for staff shortages, citing safety
Air Canada denied a customer complaint and instructed employees to classify flight cancellations caused by staff shortages as a "safety" problem, which would exclude travellers from compensation under federal regulations. That policy remains in place.
Multiple people in hospital, suspect shot after machete attack on Vancouver's Granville Street
Five people, including a suspect, were taken to hospital with serious injuries after a violent incident that drew a massive police presence to downtown Vancouver's main entertainment district Saturday night.
Montreal Pride parade cancelled hours before event due to lack of volunteers
Montreal's Pride Parade has been cancelled due to a lack of volunteers able to guarantee a secure event.
'Amanda got justice': Dutch man accused in B.C. teen sextortion case found guilty on all charges
A Dutch man accused of tormenting British Columbia teen Amanda Todd via online threats has been found guilty of all charges he faced in connection with the case, a jury ruled on Saturday.
BREAKING
BREAKING | Egypt calls for cease-fire, seeking to end Gaza violence
Egyptian intelligence officials have called for a cease-fire to begin at 11:30 p.m., indicating that a deal has been struck to end the violence in Gaza that has killed dozens of Palestinians.
Shift in war's front seen as grain leaves Ukraine, power plant hit
Four more ships carrying agricultural cargo held up by the war in Ukraine received authorization Sunday to leave the country's Black Sea coast as analysts warned that Russia was moving troops and equipment in the direction of the ports to stave off a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Best time to see the Perseids meteor shower could be this weekend
While the peak of the Perseids meteor shower, one of the brightest of the year, may be next week, now may be the best time to see the astronomical event, according to The Weather Network.
Hundreds forced out of their homes as Okanagan wildfire rages on in B.C.
An evacuation order remains in effect in Olalla, a community just north of Keremeos, B.C., as a wildfire classified as 'out of control' continues to grow, impacting nearby residents.
Canada
-
Help on the way for central Newfoundland fire Premier says is largest since 1961
The rapid growth of a long-burning forest fire in central Newfoundland has triggered a state of emergency in the area and the expansion of an outdoor fire ban to the entire province.
-
Hundreds forced out of their homes as Okanagan wildfire rages on in B.C.
An evacuation order remains in effect in Olalla, a community just north of Keremeos, B.C., as a wildfire classified as 'out of control' continues to grow, impacting nearby residents.
-
'Amanda got justice': Dutch man accused in B.C. teen sextortion case found guilty on all charges
A Dutch man accused of tormenting British Columbia teen Amanda Todd via online threats has been found guilty of all charges he faced in connection with the case, a jury ruled on Saturday.
-
Ontario legislature returns amid health staffing crisis, high inflation
Ontario's legislature is set to resume this week for the first time since the re-election of Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives, with politicians returning amid a health-care staffing crisis and skyrocketing inflation.
-
Heat warning issued for southern Ontario, southern Quebec, N.B., N.S. this weekend
Environment Canada has issued a heat warning spanning four provinces as a two-day heat event gears up across much of the central and eastern parts of the country.
-
Senegal accuses police of 'savagely beating' one of its Ottawa diplomats
Senegal is accusing Canadian police of 'savagely beating' one of its diplomats earlier this week. The Gatineau police service says instead that it faced 'an aggressive person' who allegedly injured two police officers.
World
-
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken in South Africa on tour of continent
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken began his three-nation tour of Africa Sunday by visiting a museum in South Africa commemorating how the country's Black youths helped to end white racist rule. Blinken’s visit to Africa is seen as part of a competition between Russia and Western powers for support from African countries over the war in Ukraine.
-
Firefighters battle big blaze at Cuba tank farm for 2nd day
Cuban firefighters were joined by special teams sent by Mexico and Venezuela on Sunday as they battled for a second day to control a fire blazing at a big oil tank farm in the western province of Matanzas.
-
China keeps up pressure on Taiwan with 4th day of drills
China said Sunday it carried out its fourth consecutive day of military drills in the air and sea around Taiwan in the wake of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the self-ruled island, despite international calls to calm the tensions.
-
Ukraine grain headed for Lebanon following wartime deal delayed
The scheduled arrival Sunday of the first grain ship to leave Ukraine and cross the Black Sea under a wartime deal has been delayed, a Lebanese Cabinet minister and the Ukraine Embassy said.
-
9 wounded in shooting outside Cincinnati bar, police say
At least nine people were wounded -- none critically -- in a shooting outside a Cincinnati bar early Sunday, police said. The shooting took place shortly after 1:30 a.m. outside Mr. Pitiful's bar in the Ohio city's Over-the-Rhine district, a popular nightlife area.
-
U.K. museum agrees to return stolen Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
A London museum agreed Sunday to return a collection of Benin Bronzes looted in the late 19th century from what is now Nigeria as cultural institutions throughout Britain come under pressure to repatriate artifacts acquired during the colonial era.
Politics
-
Democrats push Biden climate, health priorities for U.S. Senate approval
Democrats drove their election-year economic package toward Senate approval early Sunday, debating a measure with less ambition than U.S. President Joe Biden's original domestic vision. Still, it touches deep-rooted party dreams of slowing global warming, moderating pharmaceutical costs and taxing immense corporations.
-
Tory leadership hopefuls say it's time for unity, here's what some say that means
In a contest largely seen as a battle for the Conservative Party of Canada's soul, which has put decades-old fissures on display between groups that make up its very coalition, what might it take to achieve unity after results are revealed Sept. 10?
-
Ottawa on track to spend $200M per year on cannabis for veterans
Ottawa is reimbursing a record number of veterans for medical marijuana, with new figures showing the federal government shelled out more than $150 million in the last fiscal year -- more than double the amount just three years ago.
Health
-
Children with headache disorders report worse symptoms, mood during pandemic: study
A new study has found children who suffer from headache disorders have been experiencing more frequent pain and worse anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
-
Ottawa's Montfort Hospital closing ER for second night
The Montfort Hospital ER will be closed between 7:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m., forcing residents in the east end needing emergency care to travel eight kilometres to the Ottawa Hospital General Campus.
-
Monkeypox in Canada: Tracking where the cases are
The Public Health Agency of Canada is tracking the publicly reported cases of monkeypox across the country, updating the number of confirmed infections in each province and territory on a weekly basis.
Sci-Tech
-
Best time to see the Perseids meteor shower could be this weekend
While the peak of the Perseids meteor shower, one of the brightest of the year, may be next week, now may be the best time to see the astronomical event, according to The Weather Network.
-
Top scientist admits 'space telescope image' was actually a slice of chorizo
A French scientist has apologized after tweeting a photo of a slice of chorizo, claiming it was an image of a distant star taken by the James Webb Space Telescope.
-
New Pompeii finds highlight middle-class life in doomed city
A trunk with its lid left open. A wooden dishware closet, its shelves caved in. Three-legged accent tables topped by decorative bowls. These latest discoveries by archaeologists are enriching knowledge about middle-class lives in Pompeii before Mount Vesuvius' furious eruption buried the ancient Roman city in volcanic debris.
Entertainment
-
Brad Pitt's 'Bullet Train' pulls into station with US$30.1M
The stylized action romp 'Bullet Train,' starring Brad Pitt, arrived with a US$30.1 million opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, as the last big movie of Hollywood's summer recovery landed in theatres.
-
'No crying in baseball': Vancouver's Kelly McCormack takes on famous line in reboot
Nobody can fill the shoes of Hollywood star Tom Hanks, of that actress Kelly McCormack is certain. Yet on the new TV series "A League of Their Own," the Vancouver native was assigned a task nearly as stressful as emulating Hanks: saying one of his most iconic catchphrases.
-
Actress Anne Heche has 'long recovery ahead' after car crash
Anne Heche remains hospitalized and in intensive care after a car she was driving crashed into a residence in Los Angeles on Friday and became engulfed in flames.
Business
-
U.S. demand for grocery delivery cools as food costs rise
U.S. demand for grocery delivery is cooling as prices for food and other necessities rise. Some are shifting to pickup -- a less expensive alternative where shoppers pull up curbside or go into the store to collect their already-bagged groceries -- while others say they're comfortable doing the shopping themselves.
-
China's July exports rise, with trade surplus at record-high
China's exports grew 18 per cent to US$333 billion compared to the same period last year, and were up from 17.9 per cent in June, according to data from China's customs.
-
COVID benefits too generous with Canadian businesses, stringent with workers: experts
Benefits rolled out at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed vulnerable Canadians to stay healthy while maintaining an income, but business supports were excessive and show the outsized influence of business groups on public policy, economists say.
Lifestyle
-
Montreal Pride parade cancelled hours before event due to lack of volunteers
Montreal's Pride Parade has been cancelled due to a lack of volunteers able to guarantee a secure event.
-
Winning Lotto 649 ticket worth $6M sold somewhere in Ontario
Ontario residents will want to check their Lotto 649 tickets carefully this morning.
-
Pride on the canal: Huge crowds at Amsterdam water parade
Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined Amsterdam's historic canals Saturday to celebrate Canal Parade, a Pride flotilla of 80 brightly decorated boats packed with people partying, singing and waving rainbow flags, balloons and umbrellas.
Sports
-
Canadian racewalker Evan Dunfee wins gold, sets record at Commonwealth Games
Canada's Evan Dunfee says he drew on the support of his loved ones to propel him to a Commonwealth Games gold medal.
-
Canadian junior Jaden Weekes falls to Germany's Altmaier in National Bank Open debut
Canadian junior star Jaden Weekes dropped a 6-3, 6-4 decision to Daniel Altmaier in qualifying play Saturday at the National Bank Open.
-
Canadian wrestlers Di Stasio, Randhawa capture Commonwealth Games gold
Justina Di Stasio and Nishan Randhawa both won gold medals to lead a Canadian wrestling medal haul Saturday at the Commonwealth Games. Canada also struck gold at the track where Camryn Rogers of Richmond, B.C., won women's hammer throw.
Autos
-
Florida death could be 20th in U.S. caused by Takata air bags
A Florida man who was killed in a traffic crash last month could be the 20th death in the U.S. caused by exploding Takata air bag inflators.
-
Tire-deflating climate activists coming to Vancouver 'soon,' group says
A group of climate activists who 'disarm' SUVs by deflating their tires is preparing to target vehicles in Vancouver, according to a representative.
-
U.S. agency probes Tesla crashes that killed 2 motorcyclists
Two crashes involving Teslas apparently running on Autopilot are drawing scrutiny from federal regulators and point to a potential new hazard on U.S. freeways: The partially automated vehicles may not stop for motorcycles.
