Instagram rolls out hate speech filter to protect users from abusive messages

Facebook’s Instagram has announced a set of new measures to help users fight back against harassment and hate speech on their public profile and in private messages, rolling out message filters and pre-emptive block tools.

The new features were unveiled by the company on Wednesday, as Facebook and its outlets increase their efforts to combat harassment and hate speech on their platforms after much criticism.

“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,” Instagram said in a blog post.

We know there’s still more we can do, and we’re committed to continuing our fight against bullying and online abuse.

Users will be able to block potentially abusive content by adding filters through their privacy settings for specific words, phrases, or emojis, allowing them to reduce the risk of receiving offensive direct messages.

The company also announced that it will be introducing a measure to pre-emptively block new accounts that are created by a user they have previously blocked, preventing people from simply setting up another profile to continue targeting and harassing an individual.

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