Instagram introduced two new features to protect users from abuse and hate messages on the platform, after the offenses circulated on the social network during European football and the Olympics. An update designed to reduce the spread of racist, homophobic and sexist phrases and images. The first is called Limits and allows you to automatically hide comments and direct message requests from people who do not follow our profile or who have only recently started following it. The other, however, is Hidden Words: allows you to filter offensive words and emojis by putting them in a hidden folder, which can never be opened; It also detects low-quality or spam requests for direct messages.
Overall, the goal is to ensure that all subscribers feel safe when posting images and posting on the platform. “We are against hate speech and bullying, and we remove this content every time we spot it. We also want to defend people from these abuses, which is why we constantly take into account the feedback from experts and our community “, he writes on the social network blog Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram.
The functionality of Limits, that is available to everyone globally, was developed because creators and public figures sometimes saw sudden surges in comments and direct message requests from people they didn’t know. “In many cases these are messages of appreciation and support. Other times, however, it can also mean a ‘wave of negative comments or unwanted messages. Now it will be possible to activate Limits and avoid it », continues Adam Mosseri.
The company recalls that, according to their research, negative content targeting public figures comes from people who don’t actually follow them or who have only recently begun following their profile. “We saw it with the final of Euro 2020, with a significant and unacceptable increase in racist messages and abuse towards players”, reads the statement. The Limits feature will allow users to receive messages and comments from longtime followers. To use it, just go to the section of privacy settings and activate it. The other tool, Hidden Words, was already launched in some countries earlier this year and will be available to everyone worldwide starting in late August.
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