Meta’s AI wrongly bans teen rock (climber) star, destroying sponsorship deals

Mitchell Boyer, a 16-year-old rock climber ranked second nationally and seventh globally in speed climbing, has been permanently locked out of his Instagram account after Meta’s AI wrongly flagged it for “child exploitation and sexual content.” The ban has disrupted his sponsorship deals and international athletic connections, highlighting broader issues with automated content moderation that has affected thousands of users worldwide.

What you should know: Boyer used his Instagram account, built over seven years, primarily for athletic promotion and securing sponsorships that helped fund his international climbing career.

• His sponsors provided equipment like climbing shoes (costing upwards of $250 per pair) and travel support in exchange for social media promotion, as child athletes cannot accept direct payment.
• The account served as his primary communication tool with international athletes and training partners, as “not all countries will use messaging apps, so we use Instagram to connect.”
• His mother Clarissa, who managed his social media presence, was also locked out of her personal and business accounts because they were connected to Mitchell’s profile.

The big picture: Meta’s AI-driven moderation systems have been flagging legitimate accounts at “unprecedented scale” since rolling out massive changes in 2023, according to advocacy groups.

• A nonprofit called People Over Platforms Worldwide was created specifically to address this issue, with a petition demanding Meta accountability gathering roughly 43,000 signatures.
• Similar cases include an Iowa photographer and an Indiana teacher, both wrongly flagged for “child exploitation” with no viable appeals process.

Why this matters: The incident demonstrates how automated AI moderation can destroy digital livelihoods and connections without human oversight or effective appeals processes.

• For Boyer, losing his Instagram presence meant sponsors began questioning his commitment: “One of those sponsors came to us and was like, ‘what’s going on Mitchell? This summer we didn’t get anything,'” Clarissa said.
• The family lost “decades of pictures and memories” and Clarissa’s ability to manage social media for climbing organizations.

What they tried: The Boyer family exhausted multiple avenues attempting to restore their accounts during an international training trip.

• Clarissa repeatedly used Meta’s appeals process, filed a police report, and even visited Meta’s Singapore headquarters, where “she was ignored and had the police called on her.”
• Neither Meta nor any human representative has responded to their emails, phone calls, or reinstatement requests.

The regulatory landscape: Attempts to regulate AI technology have faced resistance at both state and federal levels due to concerns about falling behind competitors like China.

• Connecticut’s Senate Bill 2, which would have required companies to use “reasonable care to protect consumers from algorithmic discrimination,” passed committee but never reached a floor vote.
• Sen. James Maroney, the state’s AI expert, is working with a Connecticut rotary club experiencing similar issues and has reached out to Meta contacts for help.

What they’re saying: State legislators emphasize the need for human oversight in AI systems.

• “This is a great example of how AI isn’t quite ready for prime time yet, and we need to ensure human review,” Maroney said.
• “There’s so much good that can come from AI, it’s just we need to make sure there are some guardrails in place.”

Starting over: Boyer has created a new Instagram account but faces significant challenges rebuilding his digital presence.

• At the time of the interview, his new account had only 118 followers compared to his established following built over seven years.
• “The sponsors look at all the content over the years for continuity of what he has done,” Clarissa explained. “It’s like a job to us, and so this is very cruel, very painful.”