As an owner of a fan account, I have witnessed the unfair and imbalanced application of Instagram's current policies with regards to account banning. Hardworking individuals who dedicate time and effort into building communities built on love and support for their favorite public figures have had their accounts permanently banned without a human review, all for allegedly impersonating public figures. These fan accounts are built with respect and admiration, a far cry from impersonation. Most accounts now have a clear notice that they aren’t trying to impersonate in their bio, but the algorithm seems to overlook it.

Alarmingly, while these harmless fan accounts get the cold shoulder, there are countless accounts sharing hate speech, causing real world trouble, and genuinely participating in impersonation that seem to slip through the radar. This not only questions the efficiency of the present system, but also its underlying fairness and value basis. 

It is estimated that Instagram has approximately one billion users worldwide (Statista, 2020). This makes the need for a just and inclusive policy all the more important. The current criteria and methods for banning accounts need an overhaul. Instagram's ai and its unattended consequences should not be causing harm to benign fan communities.

Therefore, we call upon Instagram to reform their policy, to institute a fairer system of review before levying a permanent ban, to offer support to those affected, and to aim their resources at truly malicious accounts. Enhancing the quality of their user platforms is a shared responsibility. Sign this petition to stand up for all the good-intentioned fan accounts that have fallen, and protect those at risk of sharing the same fate.