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NEW YORK: Instagram has introduced new measures to help protect its users from abuse on the platform, including a feature that will limit unwanted comments and message requests from people seeking to target a user.
The Facebook-owned platform will also feature stronger warnings when people try to post potentially offensive comments, and will roll out the “hidden words” feature that allows people to filter abusive direct message requests.
Its new “limits” feature automatically hides comments and messages from people who do not follow – or just started following – users who switch it on.
“We developed this feature because we heard that creators and public figures sometimes experience sudden spikes of comments and DM requests from people they don’t know,” said Instagram head Adam Moseri.
“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 who simply pile on in the moment,” he added.
The feature is available to all accounts and can be turned on in the settings as and when it is needed. Instagram is also looking at how it can alert users to a spike in comments and messages, to prompt people to switch the feature on.
The company specifically referenced the racist abuse following the men’s Euro 2020 football final as one example. In the wake of England’s defeat in a penalty shootout, black players found themselves subjected to a torrent of racist abuse, including on social-media platforms.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged last month to toughen measures against online racist abuse of players, including potential fines for social media companies that fail to remove it.
