Meta apologizes after suspending 'No Kings' Instagram account
META•Meta apologized after suspending the No Kings Instagram account for more than an hour, saying a sharp increase in activity resembled automated bot traffic. Organizers said content related to No Kings and early voting was also inaccessible or appeared suppressed across Meta platforms.
1. Account suspension
Meta said its security systems detected a sharp increase in activity on October 17, including sequential requests from a Claude tool reading profiles, posts and hashtags. The activity resembled automated bot traffic, the company said, causing protections to take the No Kings Instagram account offline for more than an hour; restoring organizers’ access took longer. Meta apologized for the error.
2. Organizers seek answers
The No Kings Coalition said Meta’s explanation did not add up and that it had received reports of No Kings and early-voting content being inaccessible, restricted or seemingly suppressed across Meta platforms. The coalition said an apology was not enough and called for answers, accountability and safeguards.
