According to the online publication User Mag, Instagram hid LGBTQ+ content from teenagers for at least "several months." Users under 18 now receive a special type of account, called a "teen account," designed to filter out content deemed sensitive for young people.

This filter appeared to include images and videos about gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. Teenagers searching for hashtags like #queer, #lesbianpride, #pansexual, #nonbinary, and #Tgirlsarebeautiful were instead shown a blank screen.

User Mag contacted Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, for clarification. "These search terms and hashtags were mistakenly restricted," a Meta spokesperson said. "It’s important to us that all communities feel safe and welcome on Meta’s apps, and we do not consider LGBT+ terms to be sensitive under our policies."

Nevertheless, LGBTQ+ activists remain unconvinced. They point to efforts by conservative politicians to restrict LGBTQ+ content for young audiences. For example, books about gay characters are being banned in some US states. Speculation about deliberate censorship is further fuelled by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s recent dinner with Donald Trump. Additionally, content related to the tradwife trend—a far-right movement promoting women’s subservience to their husbands—remained accessible to young users, according to User Mag. Similarly, the algorithm continued to prominently display heterosexual couples to teenagers.

LGBTQ+ organisation GLAAD described the filtering as deeply concerning. "For many LGBTQ+ people, especially young ones, platforms like Instagram are crucial for self-discovery, community, and access to supportive information. By restricting access to LGBTQ+ content, Instagram may unintentionally contribute to the isolation and marginalisation of LGBTQ+ users," a GLAAD representative said.

GLAAD has called on Meta to provide transparency about why LGBTQ+ content was classified as harmful for young people.