Instagram rolls out new features to help prevent cyberbullying
The social media platform is stepping up efforts to
help stomp out harassment and other abusive behavior
“We understand the impact
that abusive content – whether it’s racist, sexist, homophobic, or any other
kind of abuse – can have on people. Nobody should have to experience that
on Instagram. But combatting abuse is a complex challenge and there isn’t one
single step we can take to eliminate it completely,” Instagram said in a blogpost introducing the tools. Indeed, cyberbullying has become a perennial problem on social
media, with victims ranging from children to adults.
To protect user privacy,
the Facebook-owned social media network doesn’t proactively monitor users’ DMs
like it would other publicly viewable content on its platform. Instead, it is
debuting a tool that will filter out abusive messages.
“That’s why we’re
introducing a new tool which, when turned on, will automatically filter DM
requests containing offensive words, phrases and emojis, so you never have to
see them. This tool focuses on DM requests, because this is where
people usually receive abusive messages – unlike your regular DM inbox,
where you receive messages from friends,” explained the popular social network.
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The new feature isn’t
dissimilar from the previously introduced comment filtering system, which
allows users to hide abusive or offensive comments, as well as set up a word
filter that will hide comments that contain the flagged terms. Both the DM and
comment filters can be set up through the Privacy Settings in the Hidden Words
section.
While Instagram users will
have the option to set up a custom list of words depending on what they
consider offensive, the company has also worked with several leading
anti-bullying and anti-discrimination organizations to create a predefined list
of offensive words. Importantly, Instagram won’t see the content of the
messages, since the filtering will be done natively on the device; however,
users will have the option to report offensive behavior.
Although users were already
able to block accounts of people who were harassing them, Instagram is also
introducing a new tool that will allow them to block also any new accounts the
offender will create to continue their tirades.
“This is in addition to
our harassment policies, which already prohibit people from repeatedly
contacting someone who doesn’t want to hear from them. We also don’t allow
recidivism, which means if someone’s account is disabled for breaking our
rules, we would remove any new accounts they create whenever we become aware of
it,” said the platform.
While both tools should be
rolled out to users over the upcoming months, the social media company
acknowledged that there is still more work to be done, and promised to keep
cooperating with organizations, experts, and teens to weed out abusive
behavior.