Instagram is introducing new features which will automatically challenge users before they post something which might be considered bullying, and allow victims to secretly block their tormentors.
Instagram has been under pressure to deal with its bullying problem after high profile cases, including the suicide of British teenager Molly Russell.
Sky News reports that the new feature notifies users when Instagram’s algorithms suspect that their comments might be considered offensive before they actually post.
The report adds that this is introduced as the British government develops regulations to tackle social media platforms and make them responsible for harmful material which they allow users to share or discover.
BBC reports that “Instagram believes its new anti-bullying tool, which prompts users to pause and consider what they are saying, could help curb abuse on the platform.
It will also soon offer the targets of bullying the ability to restrict interactions with users who are causing them distress.
In a blog post, the firm’s chief executive Adam Mosseri said “We can do more to prevent bullying from happening on Instagram, and we can do more to empower the targets of bullying to stand up for themselves,” Mr Mosseri wrote. “These tools are grounded in a deep understanding of how people bully each other and how they respond to bullying on Instagram, but they’re only two steps on a longer path.”
Instagram said it was using artificial intelligence to recognise when text resembles the kind of posts that are most often reported as inappropriate by users.
In one example, a person types “you are so ugly and stupid”, only to be interrupted with a notice saying: “Are you sure you want to post this? Learn more”.
If the user taps “learn more”, a notice informs: “We are asking people to rethink comments that seem similar to others that have been reported.”
