Meta's AI flags term "negra" with warning about drug sales
Meta's Instagram and Threads displayed a warning linking the Portuguese word 'negra' (Black) to drug sales when users searched for it, sparking accusations of racism. Deputy Erika Hilton filed a complaint with Brazil's Federal Public Ministry seeking a retraction and 50 million reais in damages, while Meta attributed the incident to a technical problem.
What happened
Users searching for the word 'negra' (Black in Portuguese) on Instagram and Threads encountered a warning stating that the term 'may be associated with drug sales'. The alert offered users the option to 'get help' or 'see results anyway' and cautioned that 'the sale, purchase or negotiation of drugs can harm you and other people'.
Deputy Erika Hilton filed a complaint with Brazil's Federal Public Ministry (Ministério Público Federal) on September 5, 2024, demanding that Meta retract the warning and pay 50 million Brazilian reais in collective moral damages. Meta described the incident as a 'technical problem' in a statement and apologized for any inconvenience caused.
Reported impact
Social media users expressed outrage at the association of a term linked to racial identity with illegal drug commerce, characterizing the incident as racist. Influencer Levi Kaique highlighted that Instagram was restricting searches for the word 'negra' across both the app and desktop versions.
Index analysis
The warning system applied to searches containing the word 'negra' and associated search terms, flagging them with drug-trafficking content restrictions. The algorithmic association resulted in the suppression or cautioning of searches for a word central to Black identity and anti-racism discourse in Brazil.
Governance controls
Meta's content moderation systems failed to prevent the association of a racial identity term with drug commerce. The company's characterization of the event as a technical problem prompted questions about the adequacy of review processes for high-risk content categories before deployment or activation.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.