On February 3rd, we launched a competition called 'Black Impact'. After seeing the respons we later decided to shut down the competition.

This was the reward, which will instead be used for another future competition:

We want to thank everyone for sharing your feedback. While we intended to create a competition where our Black users could highlight personal stories in a celebratory way, we can clearly see that we did not succeed in this, nor did we properly think about the potential fallout of such a competition. 

Instead, we created a space where stories about Black people were used as a tool to gain a reward. 

For this, we apologise. 

Black History Month is the time to honour the past and present contributions of Black people. Making Black people feel unsafe and being subjected to tokenism does not align with any goals of celebrating and honouring BHM. 

We would also like to clarify that while our events aim to be inclusive, this doesn’t mean every competition will be a perfect fit for everyone. If a particular competition is not aligned with your experience, we encourage you to make space for those it is intended for. You can still engage by bumping, sharing encouragement, or simply wishing those who do participate good luck.

Whataboutism

Whataboutism is a rhetorical fallacy in which attention is shifted away from the original topic through counter-accusations or unrelated comparisons. Rather than engaging with the issue at hand, it redirects the conversation elsewhere.

Whataboutism often appears when:

— Marginalised groups are centred. 

— The focus is not on the majority experience.

— Attention is placed somewhere unfamiliar or uncomfortable.

Whataboutism is not new, nor is it unique to this platform. It tends to surface repeatedly when important issues are raised by marginalised communities, or when events, initiatives, or content are created to recognise and celebrate those groups. In these moments, people who may not personally relate sometimes shift the discussion toward their own sense of exclusion.

While participation is always welcome, not every space or initiative will speak directly to everyone’s experience. That does not make it unfair. What it does is reflect that different moments are created for different voices.

We are working closely with IG and actively reviewing the feedback and concerns that were raised to help prevent similar situations in the future. 

This will also include a review of our internal processes when it comes to finalising activities before they go live.