Instagram says it has fixed a bug that caused users’ accounts to be suspended and follower numbers to be cut | Tech Reddy

Instagram says it has fixed a software bug that prevented thousands of users from accessing the photo-sharing platform for eight hours on Monday and prompted complaints of suspended accounts.

“We’ve fixed this bug now – because people in different parts of the world are having trouble accessing their account and it’s changing for some time for some followers,” Meta said on Instagram. Platforms Inc. 6pm ET on Monday.

The company did not provide an explanation for the issue.

The failure in some cases resulted in the banning of users’ Instagram accounts, with some receiving notices that their account “does not follow our community guidelines.” Several users tweeted that the request asked for their email and phone number to reactivate the suspended account.

Some users reported seeing a locked out message, but were still able to scroll through their feed. Some have reported that the number of followers has decreased, because those accounts have been closed.

Earlier on Monday, some Instagram users reported that they had regained their accounts, only to find that all of their information was gone. It was not clear Monday night if the previous information had been restored.

It was unclear if the problem was an internal issue or if the social media site had been hacked.

Thousands of users were affected throughout the day, according to the Downdetector website, which compiles official reports from a number of sources, including user-reported errors on his platform. Unfortunately it affects many more users than those who reported issues with the app.

Meta’s shares closed down 6.1 percent amid a broad sell-off in stock markets.