Instagram to crack down on abusive direct messages

Earlier this month, Instagram introduced new machine learning algorithms to let users hide offensive comments. Now the social network has announced yet another tool for battling angry trolls and haters alike.

This time Instagram cracks down on DM requests containing offensive words, phrases, and emojis. According to Instagram, it’s hard to control abuse in direct messages in particular, because the social network can’t actively monitor these private conversations.

With the new tool, however, offensive messages will be blocked automatically, before even reaching users’ inboxes. The idea is to primarily focus on DM requests, as people are more likely to receive abusive messages from strangers.

Instagram is also giving its users control over the filtered terms via custom lists with the words they don’t want to see. All the incoming messages that contain those terms and words will go to a separate, hidden requests folder. Users can open the folder but offensive words will remain hidden until people choose to unhide them.

There’s also a new system that prevents blocked users from creating new accounts with the intention of continuing the abuse. The new features are already rolling out and should be arriving to users worldwide in the following weeks.

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