Instagram has added new features in an effort to protect users from racial abuse and discrimination from other users.
This was fuelled by the backlash from the racial abuse of English footballers; Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka experienced after the just concluded Euros Tournament.
The new features include the ability to limit comments and direct message requests during “spikes of increased attention”; stronger warnings when the app thinks someone is about to post “potentially offensive comments”; and a global launch for a ‘Hidden Words’ feature to filter out abusive direct message requests.
Instagram explained the new features here while accepting that “there’s more to do, including improving our systems to find and remove abusive content more quickly, and holding those who post it accountable”.
