Instagram Rolls Out Limits Feature to Help Users Hide Unwanted Comments, DM Requests

Instagram detailed three updates with the aim of helping users avoid abuse on its platform. The Facebook-owned photo- and video-sharing network introduced a way for people to prevent unwanted comments and DMs, Limits, which will enable users to automatically hide comments and DM requests from people who don’t follow them or recently began following them. Limits is available globally starting Wednesday (Aug. 11), and Instagram is also exploring ways of detecting when users are experiencing spikes in comments or DMs so it can prompt them to turn the feature on. Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri explained in a blog post Wednesday, “We developed this feature because 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, you can turn on Limits and avoid it.” He added that Instagram’s research has found that much of the negativity toward public figures comes from people who don’t follow them or just began following them, citing as an example the racist abuse directed toward players on England’s soccer team following the Euro 2020 final last month. Mosseri also noted that creators do not want to turn comments and messages off completely and wish to continue engaging with their communities and building relationships, and the new Limits feature enables them to maintain contact with their long-standing followers. Instagram already warns people who are about to post comments that may be offensive, and it is adding a more strongly worded warning in cases when users try to post those types of comments on multiple occasions. Those users will see the new prompt the first time they attempt to post potentially offensive comments, rather than Instagram waiting for multiple occurrences. Finally, Instagram expanded upon the Hidden Words option it introduced for DM requests in April, which enables people to filter DM requests containing offensive emojis, phrases and words into a separate folder. Hidden Words debuted in a handful of countries, and it will be extended globally by the end of August. The list of potentially offensive emojis, phrases and words was also expanded, and it will continue to be updated as needed. Mosseri wrote, “We hope these new features will better protect people from seeing abusive content, whether it’s racist, sexist, homophobic or any other type of abuse. We know there’s more to do, including improving our systems to find and remove abusive content more quickly and holding those who post it accountable. We also know that while we’re committed to doing everything we can to fight hate on our platform, these problems are bigger than us. We will continue to invest in organizations focused on racial justice and equity and look forward to further partnership with industry, governments and nongovernmental organizations to educate and help root out hate. This work remains unfinished, and we’ll continue to share updates on our progress.”

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Instagram Rolls Out Limits Feature to Help Users Hide Unwanted Comments, DM Requests

It also added a sterner warning for people attempting to post multiple comments that are potentially offensive

David Cohen

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David Cohen