Not sure if this is the place for this but any advice or ideas would be helpful! The short version is that Instagram is a important platform for sewists and knitters to share their craft-- and in the last year the online community has been grappling with racism, homophobia, etc. (mostly in very productive ways!) This has lead to a number of outspoken accounts getting deactivated by Instagram, sometimes without warning. It appears to be the result of brigading and false TOS complaints by white supremacist groups associated with the Ravelry ban.
We’ve been organizing folks to report to Instagram en-mass however only a few accounts have been granted full access to their content. Others have only been granted nominal access to their account, no access to content or ability to actually use their platforms. Instagram has not responded to their individual requests for information regarding their accounts or the reasons for de-activation. Those without full access appear to be primarily WOC, while white account holders have gotten full access to their accounts restored.
While Instagram is an ethical nightmare, and it seems like most people on this forum agree, it is also the heart of the online crafting community and I don’t anticipate that changing. I’m concerned that Instagram’s erasure of POC and those producing political art is further white-washing a community that is already heavily white washed as well as quashing a lot of really productive conversations. Right now groups of folks are trying to reach out to Instagram but as far as I’m aware there isn’t much traction there. I’ll continue searching the forum for ideas but if anyone has any ideas they would be extremely appreciated!
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@kgorecki I don’t have an instagram account. But its really amazing your communities of sewists and knitters are "grappling with racism, homophobia etc. These issues seems everywhere. I’m sure you are not knitting hate.I think one of the main problems with social media like Instagram its algorithm are created by people mostly white men and values, prejudices and biases are carried on,on what they created. I mean algorithm has important role on these issues. My view on this it is a better if the creators comes from diverse group of people and communities. Diversity is not only good for social media but the whole society as well. Sorry if I don’t have answers to some of the issues you raised here that you and your communities are concerned of. Maybe some instagram users here can give you some answers.
Stop using instagram and rebuild somewhere else, why be dependent on them if they don’t care to keep you safe? Lol first needlepoint swastika I saw I would report, and if they give me the same bs as facebook I would delete my account that second.
Compare it to real life. You are Orthodox Jew at a bar drinking and the nazis come into the bar. You say to the bar tender please handle this, not cool. And the bartender refuses. Then it’s time to pay the check, leave, and talk to federal trade commision, better business bureau and yelp maybe libel suit or assault charge depending on how things shake out, but you would not continue to patronize that business sitting their drinking like man these nazis I can’t believe we drink at the same place. Oh well.
So why be like that online? And also, I think a lot of these groups are very big tough guys online because its the only place that will allow them within “decent” society.
TLDR: Leave insatgram, maybe build your own website free open source private encrypted like hubzilla or something like that.
https://zotlabs.org/page/hubzilla/hubzilla-project
Time to break away from these monster companies and their sinister agendas.
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