A history teacher in Vaughan, Ont., had her Instagram account reinstated after it was mistakenly shut down by Meta. As CBC's Sarah MacMillan explains, the incident highlights emerging problems as AI replaces human moderators.

Vaughan

The release of Open AI's ChatGPT has accelerated the development of artificial intelligence and warnings about its impact on society.

Rise of AI

A high school teacher in Vaughan, Ontario, was surprised to find her Instagram account suspended for allegedly violating Meta's policies on child sexual exploitation, abuse, and nudity. Despite appealing the decision and attempting to resolve the issue through Meta's support tools, her account remained inaccessible until CBC contacted Meta, prompting the company to restore her account and issue an apology.

The incident has drawn criticism of Meta's content moderation practices, particularly its use of artificial intelligence. An online petition has been launched calling for improvements to the appeals process and less reliance on automation. Meta stated it uses a combination of people and technology for moderation but did not confirm if AI was responsible for the suspension. The teacher, relieved to have her account back, remains concerned about the possibility of future errors.

Meta apologizes after teacher wrongly accused of child exploitation

The surprise came from Megan Conte on a recent Saturday morning when she got a text message from a friend asking me if I had blocked them on Instagram when I went on Instagram. It said you can no longer access this account. And that's when I got the notification that I was suspended. The notice alleged the high school teacher's account went against standards on child sexual exploitation, abuse and nudity. I was very surprised. I was pretty hurt, actually, especially considering what I do for a living and what I've done before in the past with children. I have worked a lot with children. Conte submitted an appeal and paid to verify her mother's account so she could access a troubleshooting tool that allowed her to message with someone from the company. But even after more than an hour messaging back and forth through her mother's account, no success, she says. It wasn't until hours after CBC contacted Instagram's parent company, Meta, to ask about Conte's complaints that her account was reactivated and she got an apology from the company. In a statement to CBC, Meta says we take action on accounts that violate our policies and people can appeal if they think we've made a mistake. But Conte and others want that appeals process to be improved. Brittany Watson has started an online petition calling out what she believes is an over-reliance on artificial intelligence in Meta's content moderation. People are being flagged for things they didn't do. They're losing their memories, their communities and sometimes their income. It is automation run amok. Tech analyst Carmi Levy says stories about seemingly arbitrary account suspensions are all too common. We unfortunately find ourselves in a situation where AI is judge, jury and executioner. Meta did not confirm if AI was behind Conte's account suspension, but the company said it uses a combination of people and technology. Conte is happy to have her account back and her 15 years of photos, memories and contacts, but she still feels some unease. It's happened to me once. Who's to say that it's not going to happen to me again? Conte still doesn't know what content triggered her ban in the first place. Sarah McMillan, CBC News, Toronto.

Hamas on Monday informed mediators that it had accepted a ceasefire deal proposal submitted to it the day before, according to international and Israeli outlets.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Reports: Hamas accepts latest Gaza ceasefire proposal

Hurricane Erin will bring dangerously rough surf to parts of the U.S. East Coast. Over the weekend, Erin's outer bands lashed Puerto Rico with up to 7 inches of rain and flooding parts of the island.

East Coast of the United States

Erin expected to bring dangerous conditions to U.S. East Coast

Ahead of his Monday meeting with President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymry Zelenksyy says his country will not give up any territory to Russia, even as the White House insists potential land swaps will be necessary. Willie James Inman reports.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Ahead of Trump meeting, Zelenskyy says won't give territory to Russia

Thousands of Israeli protesters demanded a deal to secure the release of hostages still held by Hamas in one of the biggest demonstrations since the war in Gaza began. Debora Patta reports.

Thousands of Israelis protest in Gaza, call for end to fighting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy flies to Washington on Monday under heavy U.S. pressure to agree to a swift end to Russia's war in his country, but determined to defend Kyiv's interests — without sparking a second Oval Office dust-up with Donald Trump.

Zelenskyy, European allies to meet with Trump to discuss peace

European leaders voiced strong support for Ukraine ahead of a Washington summit with U.S President Donald Trump. They emphasized unity, territorial integrity and security guarantees as essential to any peace deal.

Paris

European leaders stress unity with Ukraine ahead of peace talks

International condemnation and pressure from allies have done nothing to stop Israel's plan to displace the people of northern Gaza. Israel on Saturday (August 16) said it is preparing to move Palestinians from combat zones to southern Gaza.

Israeli military prepares to move Palestinians to southern Gaza

Thousands of people took to the streets on Sunday in a nationwide strike amid fears further fighting could endanger the 50 hostages believed to still be in Gaza.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Dozens of Israelis arrested in protest to demand end to Gaza war

Russia continues to target Ukrainian cities firing hundreds of missiles and projectiles daily despite ongoing peace efforts, led by the United States. Ukrainian officials say their unwillingness to dial back their offensive reflects their lack of sincere interest in peace.

Five killed as Russia continues to pummel Ukrainian cities

U.S. President Donald Trump said that Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not," after a summit where Vladimir Putin was reported to have demanded more Ukrainian land.

Anchorage

Trump told Zelenskiy that Putin wants more of Ukraine, source says

Efforts by Texas Republicans to redraw the state's congressional maps got new pushback from protesters at rallies across the country Saturday. Nearly 280 events took place in 34 states, according to organizers.

Washington

"Fight the Trump Takeover" protests held across U.S.

West Virginia's governor says he will send up to 400 National Guard troops to the nation's capital at President Trump's request. They'll join other National Guard troops and federal agents already deployed with local police on the streets of Washington, D.C.

More troops arrive in D.C. at Trump's request

President Trump reversed course Saturday, saying he is no longer seeking an urgent ceasefire in Ukraine, but now agrees with Russian President Vladimir Putin that pursuing a peace deal is the best way to end the war.

Trump sides with Putin, preferring peace over ceasefire

Russian President Vladimir Putin described his meeting with President Trump as "frank, substantive and bringing us closer to making the necessary decisions." But the Alaska summit couldn't have been more far removed from the battlefields of Ukraine.

War-weary Ukrainians desperate for a ceasefire

In Ukraine, many do not believe Russia's president Vladimir Putin actually wants a ceasefire deal. They say Trump should stop making concessions to the Kremlin and for U.S President Donald Trump to demand an end to Russia aggression.

Ukrainians sceptical of Vladimir Putin’s intention

Being a Category 1 hurricane, Erin underwent a 'rapid intensification' which helped the storm to grow and strengthen to a powerful Category 5. Hurricane Erin won't make a direct hit on the U.S., but it will produce dangerous surf conditions for the entire East Coast.

San Juan

Hurricane Erin 'rapidly intensifies' to a Category 5

The Washington, D.C., police chief will remain in command of the local force following a settlement with the Trump administration over the federal takeover, but they are required to cooperate with the White House's immigration policy.

D.C. police retain some control after deal with Justice Department

The Atlantic Ocean's first hurricane of the season, Erin, has continued to gain strength and currently sits off the coast of Anguilla.

Hurricane Erin strengthens in the Atlantic

President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Friday in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine. The leaders did not announce a peace deal, but Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday.

Trump, Putin meeting in Alaska ends without a ceasefire deal

Talks between the U.S. President and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded without an agreement on ending the war in Ukraine, despite being widely anticipated as a possible turning point.

Zelenskyy set to meet U.S. president Monday after no ceasefire deal

For the first time in a decade, Vladimir Putin was on U.S. soil for a much-anticipated meeting with Donald Trump. The U.S. and Russian presidents were supposed to discuss a deal to put an end to Moscow’s war against Ukraine, but they did not mention a ceasefire after the talks.

Trump, Putin wrap up talks with no mention of ceasefire

President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Alaska for a high-stakes summit over ending the war in Ukraine. Nancy Cordes and Margaret Brennan have coverage and analysis.

What we know about the high-stakes summit between Trump and Putin

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin have arrived in Alaska ahead of their high stakes talks on Ukraine. The expected one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin has expanded to include U.S. officials Steve Witkoff and Marco Rubio and other Russian officials.

Trump, Putin arrive in Alaska for historic summit

Israel's far-right finance minister approved the construction of a controversial new settlement in the West Bank, saying it "finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state." But it's unclear if this move will actually go through. Rights groups swiftly condemned the plan.

Israeli finance minister approves new West Bank settlement

U.S. President Donald Trump indicated in an interview that he hoped to push Russian President Vladimir Putin toward a second meeting but acknowledged there was a chance Friday’s meeting would not succeed.

Trump shifts tone, confident on deal to end Ukraine war

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalei Smotrich said a plan to add more than 3,000 homes to a controversial settlement in the West Bank would bury ‘the idea of a Palestinian state.’

Israel furthers plan for settlement that divides the West Bank

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London. This comes one day before U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss a possible ceasefire in Ukraine.

London

Zelenskyy, Starmer meet ahead of Trump, Putin summit in Alaska

Speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday, President Trump sounded optimistic about his upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Meta apologizes after teacher wrongly accused of child exploitation

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Rise of AI