Just today theInstagram app has announced some interesting security updates. Specifically, the company adds new features for protect users – especially creators and public figures – from harassing, racist, homophobic and sexist comments. A choice that the platform had to make after the bad episodes of the Olympics and Euro 2020. After the defeat suffered by Italy, in fact, the British players were harshly attacked on social networks, with heavy insults delivered in private messages.
“Our research shows that a lot of negativity towards public figures comes from people who don’t actually follow them, or who have only recently followed them, and that it just builds up on the spot. We saw it after the recent Euro 2020 final, which led to a significant and unacceptable spike in racist abuse against players “. So he comments on the question Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram. And to address the issue, the company announced new tools. Let’s see what it is.
Instagram: App announces new tools for user safety
To ensure maximum safety of people, the Instagram App has announced the new “Limits” function. Available starting today, it will allow users to automatically hide comments and DM requests from accounts that don’t follow them or that have recently started following them. More in detail, “the Limits function allows you to listen to the most devoted and long-standing followers, while limiting contacts from people who might approach the account only to target it”. Activating it is simple: just access the Privacy Settings and choose to limit unwanted interactions.
Credits: Instagram
But this is not the only news of the Instagram App in terms of security. The platform also chose to send a warning to users trying to post offensive content on the first try. A choice that works. The same application declares that “on the basis of these notifications, in about 50% of cases the comment has been modified or deleted by the user“. And to this novelty is also added the function Hidden Words, “Which allows you to automatically filter offensive words, phrases and emojis in a hidden folder, which may never be opened“.
Recently, the App also added the option “Hide other comments”, referring to those contents that can be harmful even if they do not break the rules of the community. In short, the update was to optimize the platform as much as possible. “We hope these new features can protect people even more from seeing abusive content, be it racist, sexist, homophobic or any other kind.” So comments Mosseri, increasingly intent on making Instagram a safe place for everyone.