The social media platform says it was a ‘mistake’ and that the harmful terms have been removed in an update
Instagram has apologised for a “mistake” which saw it promoting weight-loss content to users with eating disorders.
A new feature on the social network provides users with suggested search terms based on their interests, with default prompts including terms such as “yard work”, “home decor” or “sunsets”. But some people with eating disorders found that the app was prompting them to search for terms like “appetite suppressant” instead, raising the risk of a relapse or worse.
