Instagram is launching a new feature that will soon allow its users to filter or completely turn off comments on their posts.
According to Nicky Jackson Colaco, Instagram’s head of public policy, their goal in releasing the new tool is to make the platform a friendly, fun, and safe place for self expression. He added that they have slowly begun to offer the tool to accounts with high volume comment threads.
Instagram has a guideline in place for what it considers as acceptable speech but this move will further empower users to avoid abusive comments.
Dealing with online harassment has always been a tricky problem for social media platforms. For instance, when they are hands-off, they are accused of helping the online crime persists but when they implement new policies, they often get criticisms for censorship. Those decisions often alienate one side or another and it may affect a social network’s reach.
Instagram currently has 500 million monthly active users.
High-profile accounts will get the first crack to this new feature but it is also expected to become available to regular users in the coming months.
(Photo Source: Instagram)
