An Instagram account was restricted due to content advocating on behalf of Israeli hostages taken captive by Hamas.
Life coach Vivace Maxvictor claimed in a recorded discussion with customer service for Meta that her Instagram account was restricted because she had posted content advocating on behalf of Israeli hostages taken captive by the Hamas terrorist organisation, reports The Jerusalem Post.
According to the recording, an Instagram customer service agent allegedly told Maxvictor last Tuesday that her account is in violation of the platform’s policies with her numerous posts about hostages because they show violence. Maxvictor’s account had limited the account’s visibility for 45 days.
The agent indicated that the term “hostage” was tied to violence, while Maxvictor argued that calling for the release of people held against their will was an act of peace. Nevertheless, the customer service agent said, “We highly suggest not to post that type of content.”
The customer service agent added that Maxvictor should post about her daily life instead. Maxvictor snapped back, stressing that advocating for hostages was her daily life.
“Instagram is demonstrating complete disregard for the hostages and their families while systematically blocking and censoring Jewish voices across the globe,” Maxvictor wrote.
NGO StopAntisemitism shared the recording on X, where Meta spokesperson Andy Stone apologised for the incident and said that Maxvictor’s account had been restored.
“We very much regret that this happened.” Stone said on Friday. “The content does not violate our community standards; it has been restored, and there are no restrictions on the account. We’re also evaluating ways to improve the support we offer.”
Maxvictor said on Saturday that she had received an apology.
In response to the video, dozens of other Instagram users shared that they had a similar experience with their account being restricted for sharing pro-Israel content.
Photo credit: Corinne Seminoff/CBC
More News
