Instagram rolled out multiple features to protect users from abusive DM requests and offensive or unwanted comments.
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The Facebook-owned company introduced ‘Limits’, a feature when turned on will automatically hide comments and DM requests from people who do not follow a user or only recently followed them. The feature allows interaction from long-standing followers, limiting contact from new or unwanted followers.
Instagram said the feature is aimed at protecting people when they experience or anticipate a rush of abusive comments and DMs. In some cases, comments and DMs could show support to a user but sometimes it could mean an influx of racist and unwanted comments.
According to Instagram’s research, a lot of negativity towards public figures comes from people who don’t actually follow them, or who have only recently followed them, and who simply pile on in the moment.
“We developed this feature because creators and public figures sometimes experience sudden spikes of comments and DM requests from people they don’t know,” the company said in a blog post.
Limits is available to everyone globally and users can turn it on from privacy settings.
Instagram is also expanding its Hidden Words feature that allows users to automatically filter offensive words, phrases and emojis in a Hidden Folder. While the feature was launched in a few countries earlier, it will roll out to all users by the end of this month. The company is also increasing the list of potentially offensive words, hashtags and emojis.
In addition to this, Instagram will show a stronger message for the first time when a user try to post a potentially offensive comments rather than waiting for the second or third comment.
