Instagram Rolls Out New Anti-Abuse Features Including 'Limits': Details Inside

Facebook Inc's picture-centric platform Instagram recently announced a slew of new features to prevent abuse on its platforms.

Over the course of COVID-19 pandemic, social media giants like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook have forced into the spotlight for not doing enough to counter misinformation, disinformation, and abusive content.

Instagram is the latest platform to roll out new features to keep up with the times and to limit all scope of abuse on the platform.

What is new on Instagram?

Now, Instagram will allow users to limit comments and Direct Message (DM) requests during periods of increased exposure for the user.

In addition, the social media app will also put out stringent warnings to users who engage in harmful behaviour by posting offensive comments.

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That's not all! Users will also be able to block out certain words through its new "Hidden Words" feature.

Today we¡¯re announcing new features to help protect our community from abuse. These include Limits, which is designed to protect people from unwanted comments and DMs, and stronger warnings when people try to post something that might be offensive.? https://t.co/fqDqjENcox

¡ª Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) August 11, 2021

Limits

The "Limits" feature will essentially protect the user from certain comments and DM requests, especially if they emanate from Instagram profiles that don't follow the concerned user, or if they only began to follow them recently.

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This feature can be enabled quickly in one's privacy settings, as shown above.

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Hidden Words

Not a new feature, "Hidden Words" was rolled out in limited territories and helped users filter out offensive content including words, phrases and even emojis!

All these were then stored in a hidden folder only visible to the account owner.

Also read: Instagram Most Invasive App, Shares 79% Of Your Data With Others

The Hidden Words feature on Instagram also helps in filtering out conspicuous DM requests and spam messages.

By the end of this month, the feature will be available to every Instagram user in the world.

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Expansion of scope

Instagram, which has evolved into a multi-faceted visual platform from just an image sharing portal has also expanded the scope of what constitutes "potentially offensive words, hashtags and emojis".

This mechanism will automatically filter out irrelevant, offensive, and spam comments. That is if it turns out to be as robust as claimed by Instagram.

The company has also upped the ante when it comes to "offensive comments". The platform will now issue more strict warnings to chronic offenders, even though it's not unclear how Instagram intends to filter out what's offensive objectively.

Also read: Facebook Is Building Instagram For Kids Under 13: Should We Be Worried?

According to Instagram, warnings were shown to users over a million times every day when they were about to hit "post" on offensive comment. Instagram claims this works!

After these warnings, 50 per cent of the times all Instagram users decided to edit or delete their comments.

Only time will tell how effective these anti-abuse mechanisms in curbing hate speech and potential danger to individuals, especially minors.

A recent report by "Revealing Reality" shed light on how Instagram feeds dangerous content to kids - involving distorted images of an ideal body type, self-harm and unrealistic beauty standards. Governments around the world have also urged Instagram to scrap plans to introduce a service especially for minors.

Do you think Instagram has done enough to protect users on its platform? Let us know in the comments.

Also read: This Guy Got A QR Code Tattooed On His Neck To Open His Instagram & It Turned Out To Be Fake