Meta apologizes for mistakenly disabling the AFPI Instagram account due to a system error
America First Policy Institute’s Instagram page faced a major setback when it was “permanently suspended” and “scheduled for deletion” by Meta on Wednesday, Jan. 10. The suspension came shortly after the organization used the platform to expose Hunter Biden’s refusal to comply with a congressional subpoena.
AFPI’s account was flagged and suspended for violating “Community Guidelines on fraud and deception.” The offending content was presumably the post about Hunter Biden, which was made before his surprise appearance before the House Oversight Committee.
The post contained verifiably true statements about Hunter Biden’s defiance of a subpoena from House Republicans, as well as convictions of Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon for ignoring similar subpoenas issued by congressional Democrats. It also mentioned the Justice Department’s interference in the IRS’s investigation into Hunter’s international business dealings. There was nothing fraudulent or deceptive about it.
This post was made at 8:21 a.m, and AFPI received notice of the account’s suspension at 8:49 a.m. However, AFPI claims that Meta never specified which content triggered the suspension.
Shortly after AFPI appealed the suspension, Meta notified them via email that the account had violated “fraud and deception” standards and would be permanently suspended and deleted. AFPI received a final decision notice, leaving no room for further review.
News of the suspension quickly spread, leading to outrage and demands for accountability. Legislators, conservative activists, and even presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy condemned the suspension as an attack on free speech and an attempt by Big Tech to interfere in the 2024 election.
Later that day, Meta informed AFPI that access to their Instagram account was restored and that the content did not violate “fraud and deception” standards. AFPI was told by a Meta representative that the suspension was caused by a “bug in the system.”
However, some see this “bug” as a convenient excuse. Without access to Instagram’s backend, it’s difficult to verify the claim. As AFPI CEO Brooke Rollins stated, “The bugs in the system always seem to affect people on our side of the aisle.”
Neither Instagram nor Meta provided any comment on the nature of this “bug” when contacted by The Federalist.
It’s quite a coincidence that a bug in Instagram’s system flagged a prominent conservative organization for “fraud and deception” right after they exposed the corruption within the Biden family and the government’s potential cover-up. When was the last time a left-wing think tank faced consequences for spreading “fraud and deception” by promoting the Russia-collusion hoax or COVID-19 guidelines? Never. These “bugs” only seem to affect one side.
Big Tech, which leans left, consistently protects and empowers Democrat politicians. Meta is no exception, as it has repeatedly supported the Bidens and the Democrat establishment.
Meta’s Facebook colluded with the FBI to suppress the circulation of the Hunter Biden laptop story before the 2020 election. It also complied with the Biden administration’s request for COVID-19 censorship, targeting “misinformation” and content that questioned vaccine safety.
One only needs to look at Murthy v. Missouri (formerly known as Missouri v. Biden) to see the left-wing bias of Big Tech and the government’s role in violating free speech rights.
In a July 2021 editorial for The Wall Street Journal, former President Donald Trump warned that the Democrat weaponization of Big Tech poses a threat to American democracy. He emphasized the power of social media platforms in shaping public discourse and criticized their increasing censorship and discrimination against certain ideas and individuals.
For too long, the American right believed in the myth of institutional political neutrality, assuming that the actions of specific entities were isolated and had no broader impact. However, Big Tech is not just a collection of software companies; it is a politically influential entity with immense power and a left-leaning bias. It controls the flow of information and manipulates public perception. And it is not on your side.
So yes, let’s believe that a bug in Instagram’s code led to the suspension of an activist page that exposed the vulnerabilities of an incumbent president, upon whom Big Tech relies for its own survival.
The truth is out there, and people are waking up to the reality. We are living in a time where the stakes are high, and it’s crucial to see through the illusions.
rnrn
Why was America First Policy Institute’s Instagram account suspended and scheduled for deletion by Meta?
America First Policy Institute’s Instagram page faced a major setback when it was “permanently suspended” and “scheduled for deletion” by Meta on Wednesday, Jan. 10. The suspension came shortly after the organization used the platform to expose Hunter Biden’s refusal to comply with a congressional subpoena.
AFPI’s account was flagged and suspended for violating “Community Guidelines on fraud and deception.” The offending content was presumably the post about Hunter Biden, which was made before his surprise appearance before the House Oversight Committee.
The post contained verifiably true statements about Hunter Biden’s defiance of a subpoena from House Republicans, as well as convictions of Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon for ignoring similar subpoenas issued by congressional Democrats. It also mentioned the Justice Department’s interference in the IRS’s investigation into Hunter’s international business dealings. There was nothing fraudulent or deceptive about it.
This post was made at 8:21 a.m, and AFPI received notice of the account’s suspension at 8:49 a.m. However, AFPI claims that Meta never specified which content triggered the suspension.
Shortly after AFPI appealed the suspension, Meta notified them via email that the account had violated “fraud and deception” standards and would be permanently suspended and deleted. AFPI received a final decision notice, leaving no room for further review.
News of the suspension quickly spread, leading to outrage and demands for accountability. Legislators, conservative activists, and even presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy condemned the suspension as an attack on free speech and an attempt by Big Tech to interfere in the 2024 election.
Later that day, Meta informed AFPI that access to their Instagram account was restored and that the content did not violate “fraud and deception” standards. AFPI was told by a Meta representative that the suspension was caused by a “bug in the system.”
However, some see this ”bug” as a convenient excuse. Without access to Instagram’s backend, it’s difficult to verify the claim. As AFPI CEO Brooke Rollins stated, “The bugs in the system always seem to affect people on our side of the aisle.”
Neither Instagram nor Meta provided any comment on the nature of this “bug” when contacted by The Federalist.
It’s quite a coincidence that a bug in Instagram’s system flagged a prominent conservative organization for “fraud and deception” right after they exposed the corruption within the Biden family and the government’s potential cover-up. When was the last time a left-wing think tank faced consequences for spreading “fraud and deception” by promoting the Russia-collusion hoax or COVID-19 guidelines? Never. These “bugs” only seem to affect one side.
Big Tech, which leans left, consistently protects and empowers Democrat politicians. Meta is no exception, as it has repeatedly supported the Bidens and the Democrat establishment.
Meta’s Facebook colluded with the FBI to suppress the circulation of the Hunter Biden laptop story. This raises serious concerns about Big Tech’s power and its potential to manipulate information and control the narrative.
The suspension of AFPI’s Instagram account highlights the need for greater transparency, accountability, and protection of free speech in the digital age. It serves as a reminder that Big Tech’s control over social media platforms can have a significant impact on political discourse and the spread of information.
As discussions about regulating Big Tech continue, it is essential to ensure that these platforms do not become tools for silencing dissenting voices or suppressing important revelations. The case of AFPI’s Instagram suspension should serve as a wake-up call to protect the integrity of online spaces and uphold the principles of free speech and transparency.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
