Tag Archives: apology

Meta issues apology on Instagram for graphic content and disturbing images

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Meta, owned by Mark Zuckerberg, issued an apology after Instagram users were exposed to violent, graphic, and disturbing content, including animal abuse and images of corpses.

Users reported encountering these disturbing images due to a glitch in the Instagram algorithm.

Reels, a feature similar to TikTok, allows users to share short videos on the platform.

On Reddit’s Instagram Forum, users discussed finding graphic content on their feeds.

Some users described seeing disturbing videos, including a man being crushed by an elephant, torn apart by a helicopter, and putting his face in boiling oil. Others reported encountering “sensitive content” screens meant to protect users from such graphic material.

A user shared a list of violent content in their feed, as reported by Tech News Site 404, which included videos of a man on fire, a shooting incident, content from an account named “PeopleDeaddaily,” and a pig being beaten.

Another Reddit user expressed concern about the violent content flooding their feed and questioned Instagram’s algorithm’s accuracy and intent.

A spokesperson for Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, issued an apology for the error.

The incident occurred amidst changes in Meta’s content moderation approach, although the company clarified that the graphic video flood was not related to any policy changes.

Meta’s Content Guidelines mandate removal of particularly violent or graphic content and limiting the use of sensitive content screens. In the UK, the Online Safety Act requires social media platforms to protect users under 18 from harmful materials.

A campaign group advocating for online safety called for a detailed explanation regarding the Instagram algorithm mishap.

The Molly Rose Foundation, established by the family of Molly Russell, a teenager who took her own life in 2017, urged Instagram to explain why such disturbing content appears on the platform.

Andy Burrows, CEO of the foundation, expressed concern that the policy changes at Meta may lead to increased availability of graphic content on the platform.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Minister issues apology for data breach in Northern Ireland special education system

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The education secretary of Northern Ireland has issued a sincere apology after the personal information of over 400 individuals who volunteered to assist with a review of special needs education was accidentally leaked.

The breach was discovered when the Department of Education mistakenly sent a spreadsheet to 174 individuals, containing the names, email addresses, and job titles of 407 people interested in participating in the review of special educational needs events in Northern Ireland.

The spreadsheet included comments from several individuals.

The department has requested the 174 recipients to delete the information they received and has confirmed that this has been done.

Many affected individuals have reported their concerns to authorities regarding the data breach.

Education Secretary Paul Givhan stated, “The Department of Education takes data protection seriously and deeply regrets this incident. We apologize to all those impacted and have informed them about the breach.”

Givan has ordered an internal audit department to conduct a thorough investigation into the data leak to prevent such incidents in the future.

An initial report has been submitted to the Information Commissioner’s Office, and updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.

This data breach is not the first in Northern Ireland, as a similar incident occurred last year involving the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Around 5,000 officers and staff from PSNI took legal action after personal details of approximately 9,500 employees were mistakenly disclosed in response to a Freedom of Information request.

The leaked information included employee last names, initials, ranks, grades, workplaces, and departments, and was later discovered to have reached dissident republicans.

Source: www.theguardian.com