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'An insulting corporate facade': Leaked Instagram report reveals creator concerns about demonetization, discrimination, and support

Sydney Bradley

2021-11-15T20:11:53Z

First slide of an internal Instagram study about equity and creator monetization.

Leaked Instagram documents include an internal analysis of creator feedback on monetization tools.
Some creators voiced concerns around the topics of equity, discrimination, and transparency.
Read the 13 pages from the report included in the Facebook Papers.

When Instagram initiated a test earlier this year that would limit creators' ability to repost in-feed posts to Stories, it was met with an uproar from many creators.

Limiting that sharing feature would inhibit sharing posts in their Stories about social activism, some said. Thousands of people even signed petitions encouraging Instagram to rethink the test.

Instagram was well aware of this sentiment, according to a presentation titled "Instagram Equity: Creator Monetization" from April 2021. The report was included in the disclosures made to the Securities and Exchange Commission and provided to Congress in redacted form by Frances Haugen's legal counsel. A consortium of news organizations, including Insider, obtained the redacted versions received by Congress.

"How can you as a company state that you're in support of black lives when you're disabling a feature that brings awareness to racial issues?" an unnamed creator reported to Instagram, according to the presentation. "It's an insulting corporate facade. Get it together."

It wasn't just Stories that some creators had qualms with.

According to Instagram's own analysis of about 770 reports from users between December 2020 and March 2021, some creators expressed concerns about three products in particular: Instagram Live Badges, branded content tools, and shopping features.

The research presented to Instagram staff internally set out to "understand what users were saying related to IG monetization products," according to a Facebook Workplace post written by a staffer (whose name was redacted in the documents).

The data looked at search terms in relation to Instagram's monetization features and "equity related regex pertaining to variants of inequity & minority groups," according to the documents.

Concerns included in the presentation ranged from a creator reporting they were "demonetized on IG Live for raising awareness against API Hate Crimes" to Black creators reporting "onboarding & utilization issues with IG shopping," the Workplace post summarized.

Instagram conducted the analysis as part of its "Equitable Product Program," a project within Instagram's broader Equity team that was formed in 2020.

"The Instagram Equity team was formed to strengthen the way we build products at Instagram to ensure equitable outcomes for everyone in our global community," a spokesperson for Instagram's parent company, Meta, told Insider. "The team continues to work to close those gaps that different people on the app may have, and how to support marginalized people and creators on Instagram."

Here are a few key takeaways from Instagram's 13-page April presentation, which was viewed in redacted form as submitted by Haugen:

"Instagram does not support Creators," the presentation quoted, though the source is unclear. More than half of the reports were in reference to creator and business issues. The other sections focused on algorithm and Instagram shopping issues.
Creators — particularly those from "minority groups" — reported that they had been demonetized on Instagram or lost access to features like Badges and branded content tools. Some reported that these were crucial to their incomes. Others reported issues with in-app shopping and commerce features.
The Workplace post sharing the presentation noted an "opportunity to provide support for creators" using shopping, and listed additional "next steps," such as connecting with other members of the Instagram team on topics like demonetization. The presentation also said Instagram would continue to analyze feedback from creators by looking at Instagram Stories and Twitter.

Later in April, Instagram publicly shared some of its equity research, discussions, and progress in a blog post. The post did not mention the specific concerns about creator monetization products addressed in these internal documents, however.

Read the 13 slides from the leaked presentation here:

Note: Insider further redacted some information that could be potentially identifying.

Instagram Equity: Creator Monetization

ProdOps Equity Analysis of External User Signal from Mid-December 2010 to March 2021

Second image from a presentation, includes screenshot of iPhone and problems reported

Flytrap 'Report a Problem' Reports: Dec 11, 2020 to March 5, 2021

Search terms include: .shop./.checkout./.shopping bag./.instagram shopping./.small
business./.creator.money./.commerce./.brandedcontent.l.badges./.cameo.l.creator.living./.shop tab./.affiliated market./.story ads./.revenue share./.make a living./.monetize./.paid partnership./.IGTV ads.

+Equity Related Regex pertaining to variants of inequity & minority groups

'Report a Probem' Volume: ~769 Reports

Third slide includes a graph of most frequent reports

"Instagram does not support Creators."

FEEDBACK ON FEED TO STORY DISABLE

"Removing the ability to share posts to stories is a direct attack on not only small businesses and artists operating through Instagram, but also social activism. How can you as a company state that you're in support of black lives when you're disabling a feature that brings awareness to racial issues? It's an insulting corporate facade. Get it together."

FEEDBACK ON ALGORITHM CHANGES

"I'm a loyal & dedicated instagrammer, posting creative, informative & innovative content on my handle but Instagram Algorithm does support handle at all for me to expand my small business that I've just begun. The reach is minimum when I view the insights & that is extremely discouraging. May I kindly request you & the team members please look into this matter & help e grow on IG. - [Redacted]

Reviewed Flytrap reports:

46.9%: F2S, Algorithm, IG Shopping

53.1%: Various Creator/Business Issues

Fourth page lists three main products that are reported

Creators & Business owners submitted flytrap reports related to the below products:

IĠ SHOPPING
IG LIVE - BADGES
BRANDED CONTENT TOOLS

I'd like to have my request to allow IG shopping on my account.
I'd also like to know how, where and why I've gone wrong previously.
In trying to grow a small, black woman owned business, it seems as if IG doesn't care about supporting makers who look like me.
Any help, support or advice would be much appreciated.
Reported by [Redacted]

Fifth page of presentation shows screenshots and complaint

Black Owned Shop requesting help onboarding to IG Shopping

User researches similar creators/business shops who have gained approval

"I have applied several times to sell my products on Instagram shopping. I have listed the same soap with my name company name and our Etsy website page along with our Facebook business page.
It would be really appreciate if someone can look into my account [Redacted by Insider] tell me what I need change or add because so far I have did everything.
I have been taking pictures of other vendors that are selling soap just like me but Instagram aloud her site to sell all her soaps not 1 soap is listed on e-commerce that connects to her Facebook it lists green tea moisturizer I sent copies of there page.. this is very discriminatory."

Another page of presentation shows screenshots and complaint

Black Owned Shop disabled on IG Shopping

User reports our messaging made her believe IG disabled shops due to her support of black history month

"You guys banned me from using Instagram shopping and basically said I was discriminating against other races because I wanted to promote my black history clothing collection for black history month, and I feel like that's not fair for y'all to take away Instagram shopping because I wanna support my own race for black history month,
I don't understand the problem with me support my own race, y'all are stopping my business from succeeding and I am not happy about that, so you either fix this or ima leaving a review on apple store about Instagram and face book and I will be finding a better social platform"

Reports about support from Instagram shopping

User reports lack of support for IG Shopping Issues

Opportunity for direct creator support for monetization products

"There is no support to talk directly about the real reason for Instagram shop non-approval. The system decides not to approve the save for unreal reason and there is no talking to anyone about the issue. Lack of transparency about Instagram shop opening decisions. Impediment can have discrimination implications."

"It has been more than four weeks since I tried to create an Instagram - shop/products tagging with very disappointing results. Every time we try. we always get different responses. The most recent one today is with the message "Not Eligible for Instagram Shopping". What! wonder if I have been active for more than a month and a half with our personal and business accounts. Our Facebook shop account [Redacted by Insider] has also been established and has been running for some time, we have even synchronized it with our website [Redacted by Insider]. We are very frustrated with the current situation and we look forward to your help (human effort) not from (computer algorithm). Once again we ask for your help in order to solve this problem and we thank you before and after."

Feedback about Instagram stories stickers

User feedback on BuyBlack Sticker

[Ineligible] ... requesting support for other minority shops

"Every time I open up the stamps for my stories the first stamp is the 'buy black' stamp.
I don't mind seeing it there but why is that the only one there? I am of Hispanic origin [ineligible] ... my business is partially woman owned. where is the by Hispanic. Where is the buy female oh. [sic] How about your shop small? How about just buy small business?
Obviously your [sic] virtue signaling just to make sure you're on the right side of the wave. But the wave will shift. Why not just put something that encompasses all small business owners and not single out one specific type of business owner.
Do you want to talk about being offended. I am seriously offended that I spend money on Instagram use it and by that very act I am promoting this app. There's nothing that represents me. And I don't need something that represents me. Why not just represent small business?"

Reports about creators being demonetized

Creator reports being demonetized on IG Live for raising awareness against API Hate Crimes

Requires further investigation on what strike occurred on the IG Live

"Instagram demonetized my ability on live. I am Asian American, please explain what terms I violated during my live. I cannot practice hate speech against myself! Fix your processes"
As this IG Live occurred during #StopAsianHate, it's important to understand what lead to the Content Monetization Policy Violation and if the user attempted to appeal this violation (if available).

Three reports about IG Live Badges being disabled

Additional reports on confusion on IG Live Badges disabled

Creators report frequent badge disablement with no clear remediation path

"I keep getting my badges taken away for 24 hours for no reason. My Instagram LIVE SHOW is a COMEDY PRANK CALL show that's it. I do a DISCLAIMER before, throughout and at the end of my show. I am NOT violating any Instagram rules please fix this issue ASAP. I am not using anything sexual, violent or anything in that nature pleases fix this ASAP as i need my badges during this time in need. This is the 3rd time this has happen [sic]."

"I was eligible for badges but never got to use them... I'm of shadow banned and I was wondering if I could get my badges back because I'm just a tea page"

"My Instagram live is being shadow banned i used to do 200+ viewers now when i get on i barely get 10 and people are telling me they dont get notified when im on also my badges aren't enabled back either"

Report from creator saying she lost branded content tools

Creator reports FP on community standard violation disabled her branded content tools

Creator has three strikes related to Hate in March 2021

"My branded content tool has been taken way erroneously. You all say my posts that say 'I hate men' are hate speech when its really not even that deep. It's a figure of speech at this point.
Plus the point I was making in that post is about how I can't trust men because they cheat so much then get on the internet and justify the cheating. I wasn't just bashing men out of no where.
You all need better reviewers because right now the algorithm just sees the word hate and assumes its hate speech without knowing the context. Instagram has the capacity to be such a great app. But you all consistently make things harder on creators."

False self-harm flag report from creator

Creator reports False Positive on Self-harm [sic] content moderation disabled her branded content tools

Bad user experience where IG not only disabled her monetization tools and provided her Self Help Resources [sic]

"I noticed an issue with an Instagram story I posted which was literally a red background with a white 'Wednesday' gif and for some reason, I received a notification saying my story went against community guidelines for featuring self harm! Which is madness!
Since then, I am no longer eligible for branded content tools including the paid partnership tag which is a problem as I use this to declare Ad's [sic] and it's my form of income. I have put a review in and Instagram have not accepted it.
I don't know how one story with a 'Wednesday' gif has resulted to sharing content of self harm and prevented me from having branded content tools.
Have attached stories for reference but if someone could look into this for me and grant me back branded tools, I'd appreciate it! Thank you!"

Future state: screenshots from Instagram Stories and Twitter

Future State: Analyze Instagram Story & Twitter in depth for creator monetization feedback

[Redacted] highlighting @blacktag - "Black Art is Black Money"

"Blacktag seeks to elevate Black creators and connect them with both fans and brands. In the fall, it received $3.75 million in seed funding from an investment partnership between Creative Artists Agency and New Enterprise Associates." [Quote from Vogue.com]

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