This archive report was first published on 9 July 2019.
On Monday, Instagram announced two new features aimed at reducing online bullying and harassment on its platform.
The new features, announced by Instagram's head Adam Mosseri, include a sensitivity screen that will notify users when a comment they write could be considered offensive before they post it.
Additionally, Instagram will soon begin testing a 'Restrict' feature that allows users to hide comments from specific users without notifying those users that they've been muted.
Speaking to Time, Mosseri emphasized the company's commitment to keeping its users safe from online bullying, even if it means decreased usage.
According to Facebook, which owns Instagram, the company took action on 2.6 million pieces of bullying or harassing content during the first quarter of this year.
When it comes to posts, users will have the ability to review any comment that the bully writes on one of their photos or videos, and can choose to approve, delete, or leave it in a pending state.
The 'Restrict' feature will also divert direct messages from the bully to the message requests area, where users can choose to respond once they've un-restricted the user.
