Kevin Systrom, Chief Executive Officer at Instagram just announced a new set of tools designed to keep Instagram users safe. In a blog post published earlier today, Systrom explained how everyone at the Facebook-owned company wants Instagram to continue being a safe place for self-expression, which is why the social media firm decided to develop a new set of moderation tools which should be launching shortly.
For starters, Instagram users will soon have access to numerous comment control features. This functionality is an extension of the keyword-based comment filters Instagram debuted back in September. As Systrom explained, some comments aren’t always welcome, and if any particular content attracts a lot of negative comments, it’s probably best to disable the commenting feature altogether. That’s why Instagram will soon debut an option for users to turn off comments on individual posts. Instagram’s CEO also pointed out how this feature will be useful for people who want to post content that speaks for itself, so to speak. Instagram has been testing this functionality for quite a while now, but in the coming weeks, everyone will finally get to use it. Note that you will be able to disable comments both before and after posting. Once the next Instagram update rolls out, you’ll find the option to “Turn Off Commenting” in the Advanced Settings tab of your posting interface. If you want to enable comments at any time, just tap the three-dot icon next to your Instagram post and click on the appropriate option.
In addition to that, Instagram is also set to debut an alternative liking mechanic which allows you to like comments by interacting with a heart icon which will appear next to every comment. Furthermore, the social media network has also developed a feature for removing followers of private accounts. Up until now, once a private Instagram account approved a follower, the only way to reverse that decision was to block the said account. Soon enough, removing a follower will be as simple as tapping on the three-dot icon next to any account on your list of followers and choosing the appropriate option. Of course, Instagram won’t notify anyone whose approval has been revoked in this manner.
Finally, Instagram also announced a new mechanic for anonymously reporting people who you believe are in danger of hurting themselves. Once reported, Instagram’s teams will review their accounts and connect them to organizations that can help them deal with their issues in a non-violent manner. All of these features are expected to debut in Instagram by the end of the year.
