Erin Napier Claims Her Social Media Posts Are Being Censored By ‘Big Tech’
HGTV star Erin Napier has blasted “Big Tech” for allegedly censoring her social media posts about her and her husband’s (Ben Napier) charity organization, Osprey (Old School Parents Raising Engaged Youth).
The Home Town host took to her Instagram Stories to reveal how posts about her organization have supposedly been restricted by Instagram and Facebook’s parent company, Meta. This came after Osprey held its first-ever Osprey Festival in Laurel, Mississippi, on Saturday, March 9.
After the event, where families took part in social-media-free activities and workshops, Erin claimed “something weird happened.” According to People, one of her IG Story slides showed a “Try Again Later” error message popping up on someone’s phone after trying to post an image from the festival, which tagged Erin and Ben.
“Meta wouldn’t let images of our #ospreykids logo be tagged in any photos by anyone,” Erin explained. “And wouldn’t allow anyone to tag me or Ben.”
She then shared another photo of someone’s phone receiving the same error notification when trying to post a similar photo to their Instagram Story.
“It would seem that the powers that be would rather our kids be staring at phones than living their real lives, doing, playing, adventuring. So it’s best to try to shut us up. We are bad for business, baby,” Erin continued.
Erin Napier Instagram/People
According to Osprey’s mission statement, they are “committed to helping kids achieve social media-free childhoods until they graduate high school. When adolescents have no access to social media, they gain access to deeper engagement with their families, interests and self assurance.”
Erin added, “If the ways big tech is censoring good causes doesn’t worry you, it should. You may not hear from us much anymore because they don’t want you to.
She then shared even more screenshots from her followers, all claiming that old posts she and Ben were tagged in were also being removed from Instagram and Facebook.
Meta has yet to comment on the claims.
This isn’t the first time Erin has addressed her concerns with social media blocking her posts. Speaking to People earlier this month, the mom of two said her posts about Osprey don’t receive the same attention as her other ones.
“It gets suppressed. Posts get a tiny fraction of the views that my usual posts do, which is disturbing,” she shared. “I think social media should be the adult town square for sharing information. But if you’re only able to share selective information, that’s scary.”
Erin and Ben host the HGTV renovation series Home Town, which returned for its eighth season on January 7, 2024.
Home Town, Sundays, 8/7c, HGTV
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