Meta has confirmed it is working to resolve a technical issue on Instagram that causes a “results hidden” message when users search for terms like “Democrat” or “Democrats.” The glitch has raised concerns among some social media users, who have accused the company of political bias, particularly since it emerged following the inauguration of President Donald Trump on Monday, an event attended by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
The issue appears to affect users searching for the hashtags “#Democrat” and “#Democrats,” with no results being shown. When users manually search for “Democrats,” Instagram displays a message that reads, “we’ve hidden these results,” warning that the term may contain sensitive content. In contrast, searches for “#Republican” return over 3 million posts without issue.
Social media expert Matt Navarra suggested that the issue was more likely a technical glitch rather than intentional political bias. However, he acknowledged that in today’s highly polarized environment, even unintentional errors can quickly escalate into accusations of partisanship. “If these issues are not resolved quickly, they risk fueling conspiracy theories and damaging Meta’s reputation,” Navarra told the BBC.
In a statement to the BBC, Meta acknowledged the problem, saying, “We’re aware of an error affecting hashtags across the political spectrum and we are working quickly to resolve it.” The company has not yet specified what caused the issue or when a fix will be implemented.
The glitch comes at a time when Meta is under increased scrutiny for its political ties. Zuckerberg’s attendance at Trump’s inauguration marks the latest in a series of moves that have drawn attention to the company’s relationships with the Republican administration. In January, Meta announced changes to its content moderation policies, which Zuckerberg linked to the “cultural tipping point” represented by Trump’s return to office.
Additionally, Meta recently appointed Joel Kaplan, a prominent Republican figure, as the company’s new global affairs chief, replacing Sir Nick Clegg. The move has further fueled discussions about Meta’s alignment with conservative political interests. Zuckerberg has also been seen in close proximity to Trump, with a visit to the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in November and a Meta donation to a Trump fund.
Despite previous criticism from Trump and his allies, who accused Meta of censoring right-wing voices, Trump has praised the company for removing fact-checkers from its platforms, saying it marked a significant shift. He also expressed approval of Zuckerberg’s actions, stating that Meta had “come a long way” in its handling of political content.
Meta has not yet commented on whether the current issue is related to its recent policy changes or if it is an isolated technical malfunction.
