It's not a glitch: Why Instagram has removed some filters for Texas users

If you've tried to post to your Instagram story or feed and noticed it no longer has all the usual filters, it’s not a glitch: Your Instagram filters really did disappear overnight. Filters are typically used on the social networking app to add fun elements to photos and videos that users post. But Instagram took down a number of filters for users in Texas and Illinois following lawsuits related to facial recognition technology. Facial recognition technology has become increasingly controversial in recent years, with debate over potential misuse by government agencies, companies and law enforcement. A number of cities and states have banned or limited the use of the technology.

On social media, filters are preset edited effects that can be applied to images or videos. These can range from a simple overlay that turns a photo black and white to more interactive elements such as adding dog ears or flower crowns. Filters can use augmented reality — commonly known as AR — which allows users to interact with virtual elements in a real-world environment. The AR filters generate effects that are then superimposed on a user's face, or on other real-world objects. In Instagram's case, users can click on different AR filters to add virtual makeup, tattoos, sunglasses, different hair color or even an animal sitting on a user's head. The filters might not be gone forever for users in Texas. Meta said it is working on a new opt-in feature that would explain how AR effect placement works and could allow the services to return to Texas and Illinois. The company did not provide an exact timeline for those features but said it would be "closer to weeks than months."