The New Instagram Feature Blocks Malicious Comments

new Instagram feature doesn't allow bad words

The new Instagram feature will hopefully stop online harassment on the website.

The new Instagram feature implemented by the social network blocks malicious comments. The company found the simplest and most elegant method of eliminating online harassment by scanning for a list of “bad” words and refusing to post comments that include them.

The algorithm developed by the social media platform tracks down derogatory words and stops the user from posting comments containing them. The new Instagram feature was implemented after several social media attacks prompted a number of famous celebrities to close their accounts.

Only last month, Justin Bieber decided to shut down his Instagram account after he posted a picture with his new girlfriends. All of his followers reacted negatively, stating that nobody could replace Selena Gomez. After all of the malicious comments that flooded his account, Bieber closed it.

A similar thing happened to Rachel Roy. An Instagram post suggested that she was somehow involved in a domestic dispute between Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Angry fans started to post thousands of bee emojis in the comment section of her Instagram account. The problem is that a considerable number mistook her for Rachel Ray, the food network TV host.

“To empower each individual, we need to promote a culture where everyone feels safe to be themselves without criticism or harassment. It’s not only my personal wish to do this, but I believe it’s also our responsibility as a company,” declared Kevin Systrom, founder, and CEO at Instagram.

First impressions on the new Instagram feature were positive, most users asking Twitter to implement the same strategy. However, in the case of Twitter, logistic is a bit more complicated.

While Instagram is built on the concept of sharing but respecting, Twitter gained its now dwindling numbers by allowing people to speak their mind. Moreover, the @ option creates the perfect environment for users who want to address public questions to other individuals.

By censoring the content of the tweets, the social network could lose even more users, those who stayed opting to use the platform due to the liberty of speech that it offers.

What do you think about the new feature on Instagram? Will it be of help in the battle against online harassment? What about Twitter? Should the platform think about implementing a similar measure?

Image source: Flickr

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Christina Langfold

Remember that weird girl in school who never quite managed to fit in? Who was always silent and strange? That was me during my entire teenage life. A few years after finishing college (with a degree in arts) I decided that the best way to become more sociable, while also feeling safe, is to test my people skills online.