Democrat Hashtags Seem to Be Blocked on Instagram, Prompting Outcry and Concern

The so-called TikTok ban was a source of concern for millions of people across the United States. Many were content creators who worried that they would lose access to a stream of revenue. Others were simply users who were devastated to lose the communities and profiles they had built over time.

But the app, gone for fewer than 15 hours, returned the very next day with a message praising incoming President Donald Trump for working with the app's parent company, ByteDance, on a solution.

The app returned and everything seemed good. For a few hours.

But then users started pointing out that a few things were different, and some of them were concerning. Now, users on Meta-owned Instagram are sounding the alarm as they, too, have noticed some concerning changes.

Why are the #Democrat hashtags blocked on Instagram, and what on Earth is going on? Here's what we know.

When a new presidential administration comes in, there is some uncertainty about how much things will change for the country. Never, perhaps, is that more true than with the return to the White House for President Trump. The maverick leader left the White House in 2020, and the Jan. 6, 2021, riots ensured that his legacy did not fade quietly.

Now that he is back, many people are concerned, and big changes in their favorite social media apps have some rattled and worried about the far-reaching implications they are considering.

Such as the fact that, as of mid-day on Jan. 21, 2025, you could not search #Democrat on Instagram. The search brought up a warning which read that the company had hidden the results of that search. #Republican was still searchable, on the other hand. And users pointed out that you could still search "Democrat," just not with the hashtag.

Meta ackowledged the problem, issuing a statement to Forbes which read, "We're aware of an error affecting hashtags across the political spectrum and we are working quickly to resolve it."

If it's a glitch, the timing could not be worse. Shaken social media users are already worried about the apparent revelation that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is openly supporting Donald Trump and revamping the way Meta-owned Facebook operates.

While the timing could very well be a coincidence, users online are skeptical. Some have suggested that this is part of a concerted effort to suppress information and provide propaganda in favor of Trump's political party, the Republicans.

It seems likely, however, that people would not be so concerned if it weren't for one thing: It's not just Meta. This rumored suppression of information that apparently benefits one side of the political aisle is being noted elsewhere online.

Most notably, TikTok.

Users on TikTok claim that, prior to the reinstatement of TikTok following the brief ban, they were able to search topics such as, "Donald Trump rigged election."

Now, however, if you search that topic, you will be provided with a warning.

The warning reads in part, "This phrase may be associated with behavior or content that violates our guidelines. Promoting a safe and positive experience is TikTok’s top priority."

Some users have suggested that none of this is coincidence or a mistake. Many of the world's most powerful billionaires and tech leaders, including the CEO of TikTok along with the CEOs of Meta and X (formerly Twitter), attended Trump's inauguration.

And it may go beyond a few select phrases. Under one video exploring the Instagram hashtags, a TikTok user wrote, "The hashtag #reproductiverights is also being hidden (I’m from Brazil)."

Another user wrote, "I normally wouldn’t post so close together, but this is actually dystopian scary, I need to know what’s going on." Another added, "Weird, I can see it, but the censorship on TikTok is crazy though."

Some users pointed out that they weren't having that issue while posting from outside of the United States, while some U.S. users said that the issue had already been resolved for them. But many more said it was still occurring. And, as of the publication of this article, we noted that you still would not find results when searching "#Democrat" on Instagram or "Donald Trump rigged election" on TikTok.

Does it signal a new age of information suppression and propaganda? Some users on the internet certainly believe so and are sounding the warning bells for people to be alert to this rumored apparent effort to control information.

If, however, Meta is telling the truth when they say they're working to fix it, it could be a sign that things are not as dire as many fear.

Only time will tell.