News: 0177265985

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Pinterest Users Left Confused By Mass Account Suspensions (theverge.com)

(Friday May 02, 2025 @05:20PM (msmash) from the stranger-things dept.)


An anonymous reader shares a report:

> Pinterest is having some weird moderation issues. Reports of sweeping [1]pin removals and account suspensions have appeared across social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X, with many users saying they received no warning or explanation about the ban before being locked out of their accounts.

>

> The r/Pinterest subreddit is also currently dominated by posts from confused users who claim their accounts have been suspended without evidence explaining how they violated the platform's guidelines. Users are also reporting they're experiencing an unusually high quantity of pins being deleted by Pinterest with absurd explanations, such as quilting magazines, cross-stitch art, and Minecraft bunk bed builds all being flagged for "adult content."



[1] https://www.theverge.com/news/660070/pinterest-mass-account-suspensions



1. Pallet wood. 2. Hot glue. 3. The Prestige. (Score:3)

by Pseudonymous Powers ( 4097097 )

These fraudsters know what they did. Thirty seconds is not long enough to do crafts!

Nope. Not even close. (Score:2)

by PubJeezy ( 10299395 )

Nope. Not even close.

None of us believe that Pinterest has a user-base. This is just blatant fraud. I'm guessing someone in their fraud detection and compliance division instituted a bot-detection schemata that accidentally targeted all the accounts their fraud creation division was using to make the platform seem inhabited.

The fact pattern doesn't fit the analysis. This is a bot swarm getting caught, not a bunch of users being inconvenienced.

Pinterest has been a ghost town for years.

Re: (Score:3)

by Vlad_the_Inhaler ( 32958 )

My guess would be that a fair proportion of the accounts are genuine - would bots be complaining? - and that Pinterest unleashed AI onto the pictures.

"Adult Content" also sounds realistic - are kids interested in quilting, cross-stitch art or Minecraft bunk bed builds? The problem is that the AI process looking at the pictures does not realise that "Adult Content" means "porn".

Re: (Score:2)

by PubJeezy ( 10299395 )

"Would bots be complaining?"

Obviously not. Do you think bots are born? Like two bots get together, have intercourse and give birth to a bot? Bots are tools being wielded by people. They allow for automation but they don't rule out manual interaction. And the only reason people run large swarms of bots is because they've found a way to monetize them. Wouldn't you complain if someone just crushed your business model?

Yes. The botters would complain.

ha ha, jk, complaintbot is broken (Score:2)

by Thud457 ( 234763 )

> would bots be complaining?

[1]ComplaintBot [google.com] would.

[1] https://www.google.com/search?q=complaintbot

What are Pinterest users called? (Score:1)

by Anonymous Coward

Pinheads? This is a serious question.

Smells like teen spirit... (Score:2)

by devslash0 ( 4203435 )

I mean like immature AI.

Let me guess... (Score:5, Insightful)

by msauve ( 701917 )

They just implemented AI moderation, right?

Re: (Score:2)

by Sebby ( 238625 )

> They just implemented AI moderation, right?

"Artificial Idiot", from the sounds of it.

Probably should test the AI in Dev first (Score:4, Insightful)

by silvergig ( 7651900 )

Probably should test the AI in Dev before moving it to Prod..

Re:Probably should test the AI in Dev first (Score:4, Funny)

by timelorde ( 7880 )

How old fashioned of you.

Re: (Score:2)

by SeaFox ( 739806 )

They think "move fast - break stuff" is an idea to be celebrated.

Re: (Score:2)

by war4peace ( 1628283 )

When I move fast I break stuff too. Mainly, my own body parts.

Re: (Score:2)

by Sebby ( 238625 )

> Probably should test the AI in Dev before moving it to Prod..

Nah - just act like Apple: make your users be the beta testers. Who actually cares about them anyways, right? Not the shareholders, that's for sure!

Lemme guess... (Score:3)

by Sebby ( 238625 )

Some "AI" (Artificial Idiot) bot has been set loose as a cost-cutting measure to do some of the moderation, instead of having humans do it.

Is Pinterest that shitty site that makes you join (Score:2)

by zawarski ( 1381571 )

If you try and click on a second picture? Fuck them.

Re: (Score:2)

by irving47 ( 73147 )

Yes, and agreed. I have looked for plugins that block them at every turn.

Re: (Score:2)

by RitchCraft ( 6454710 )

Exactly this. Pinterest has infected the Internet.

Minecraft (Score:2)

by cstacy ( 534252 )

Don't try to act all innocent.

Everybody knows what goes on in those

Minecraft "bunk beds".

You cyber-perv.

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