Instagram Becomes First Social Media Platform to Take Drastic Measures Against Bullying

Jennifer Davis
Updated
Instagram is taking action against bullying comments. Today, they announced new filters to remove harmful comments, as well as new initiatives to help with mental health awareness.

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Social media can be a treacherous place. For every lovely comment that a friend or stranger might leave, there seems to be no shortage of trolls who make it their mission to bully other users. After today, that will be much harder to do on Instagram.

From our CEO @kevin: “Starting today, Instagram will filter bullying comments intended to harass or upset people in our community. To be clear: we don't tolerate bullying on Instagram. Our Community Guidelines have always prohibited bullying on our platform, and I'm proud to announce this next step in our ongoing commitment to keeping Instagram an inclusive, supportive place for all voices. We also believe in promoting kindness — encouraging our community to support one another both on and off Instagram. On Saturday we will host a Kindness Prom to celebrate people on our platform who are spreading positivity. These young leaders are inspiring their peers by helping kindness, acceptance and support grow on Instagram and in the world. Since Mike and I founded Instagram, it's been our goal to make it a safe place for self-expression and to foster kindness within the community. This update is just the next step in our mission to deliver on that promise.” Check out the link in our bio to learn more about this update. Photo by @runnerkimhall

A post shared by Instagram (@instagram) on May 1, 2018 at 10:31am PDT

This filter will occur automatically, so you'll never actually see any of the divisive or toxic comments left. Some of the comments that will be hidden include anything that pertains to person's appearance, character, or well-being. Instagram will also be notified about repeat offenders to help swiftly take action and remove troubling users.

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"To be clear: we don't tolerate bullying on Instagram. Our Community Guidelines have always prohibited bullying on our platform, and I'm proud to announce this next step in our ongoing commitment to keeping Instagram an inclusive, supportive place for all voices."

From our CEO @kevin: “Starting today, Instagram will filter bullying comments intended to harass or upset people in our community. To be clear: we don't tolerate bullying on Instagram. Our Community Guidelines have always prohibited bullying on our platform, and I'm proud to announce this next step in our ongoing commitment to keeping Instagram an inclusive, supportive place for all voices. We also believe in promoting kindness — encouraging our community to support one another both on and off Instagram. On Saturday we will host a Kindness Prom to celebrate people on our platform who are spreading positivity. These young leaders are inspiring their peers by helping kindness, acceptance and support grow on Instagram and in the world. Since Mike and I founded Instagram, it's been our goal to make it a safe place for self-expression and to foster kindness within the community. This update is just the next step in our mission to deliver on that promise.” Check out the link in our bio to learn more about this update. Photo by @runnerkimhall

A post shared by Instagram (@instagram) on May 1, 2018 at 10:31am PDT

Along with introducing a new controls for unsavory comments, they're continuing to provide mental health support for users in need. If you see someone going through a difficult time during a live broadcast, you can anonymously report it to Instagram. The user will receive a notification with support and helpline information.

This is a huge step in Instagram's commitment to creating a safe space for its community, and we can only hope that other social media platforms follow suit.