Facebook Introduces New Tools To Protect Instagram Users From Abuse

 

Facebook has announced a set of new features in a bid to help protect people from abuse on Instagram.

These features include, the ability for people to limit comments and DM requests during spikes of increased attention; stronger warnings when people try to post potentially offensive comments and a global rollout of its Hidden Words feature, a provision which allows people to filter abusive DM requests.

According to the social media company, it has a responsibility to make sure its platform is safe.

Limits: Easily preventing unwanted comments and DMs

To help protect people when they experience or anticipate a rush of abusive comments and DMs, the company says it is introduced Limits. A feature that’s easy to turn on, and will automatically hide comments and DM requests from people who don’t follow you, or who only recently followed you.

The feature it says was developed because it heard that creators and public figures sometimes experience sudden spikes of comments and DM requests from people they don’t know. In many cases this is an outpouring of support – like if they go viral after winning an Olympic medal. But sometimes it can also mean an influx of unwanted comments or messages. Now, if you’re going through that – or think you may be about to – you can turn on Limits and avoid it.

 

The company says Limits will be available to everyone on Instagram globally from today. To activate, go to your privacy settings to turn it on, or off, whenever you want. We’re also exploring ways to detect when you may be experiencing a spike in comments and DMs, so we can prompt you to turn on Limits.

 

Stronger warnings to discourage harassment

The company says its is already showing a warning (https://bit.ly/2VK1mWC) when someone tries to post a potentially offensive comment. And if they try to post potentially offensive comments multiple times, it shows an even stronger warning – reminding them of our Community Guidelines and warning them that we may remove or hide their comment if they proceed. Now, rather than waiting for the second or third comment, the company says it shows this stronger message the first time.

Combatting abuse in DMs and Comments

The third is the tool to combat abuse in DMs and Comments. To help protect people from abuse in their DM requests, it says it recently announced Hidden Words, which allows you to automatically filter offensive words, phrases and emojis into a Hidden Folder, that you never have to open if you don’t want to. It also filters DM requests that are likely to be spammy or low-quality. The feature it says was launched in select companies earlier this year and it will be available for everyone globally by the end of this month.