Instagram Introduces Features to Limit Abusive Messages and Comments

Instagram announced a range of new features it says will help protect users from abuse on the platform and limit unwanted messages and hateful comments targeting a user, according to Instagram head, Adam Mosseri.  

The update comes amid ongoing scrutiny of social media after racist attacks on England footballers Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka after the Euro 2020 final. For several years now, there has been a clamor for social media platforms to enforce stronger measures against hate and bullying and make them safer and more inclusive to all users. 

Limits Feature

Limits feature is easy to turn on and will automatically hide comments and DM requests from people who don’t follow or who only recently followed the user. This has been rolled out globally and will enable users to decide for how long they would like to hide comments and DMs from non-followers and new followers. 

Mosseri added that they developed this feature because creators and personalities experience sudden spikes of comments and DM requests from people they don’t know. In most cases, this is a surge of support – if they go viral for winning in an Olympics event for example - but in some cases, they also experience an influx of unwanted comments or messages.

Hidden Words Feature

Another feature is Hidden Words. It allows the user to automatically filter offensive words, phrases, and emojis into a Hidden folder, and the user can decide to not open or delete it. It also filters spammy DM requests. This feature has been launched in a handful of countries earlier this year and will be available globally at the end of the month.

Stronger Warning Messages in Adherence to Community Guidelines

Instagram will be sending warning messages to users with potentially offensive comments. This message includes a reminder of the Community Guidelines and warning them of the probability of removing or hiding their comments.

In the end, Mosseri said, “We hope these new features will better protect people from seeing abusive content, whether it’s racist, sexist, homophobic, or any other type of abuse. We know there’s more to do, including improving our systems to find and remove abusive content more quickly and holding those who post it accountable. We also know that, while we’re committed to doing everything we can to fight hate on our platform, these problems are bigger than us. We will continue to invest in organizations focused on racial justice and equity, and look forward to further partnership with industry, governments, and NGOs to educate and help root out hate. This work remains unfinished, and we’ll continue to share updates on our progress.”

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