Instagram allows users to block nasty comments
The Facebook-owned photo sharing service is introducing a new feature that will allow users to filter and block offensive words in comments of their posts.
Instagram will now let users filter offensive comments from their posts.
People say some pretty nasty things on social media. But Instagram wants its users to be able to share and enjoy its video and photo sharing community without worrying about all the Nasty Nellies out there.
The Facebook-owned company said Monday it's rolling out a new tool that will allow people to filter out offensive language from comments on their posts. It's an extension of a capability first offered to businesses and celebrities a few months ago. Now all of the more than 500 million Instagram users throughout the world will have access to the capability.
Users can either enable a filter that will automatically block a default list of words to hide them from Instagram comments, or users can customize the keyword list.
"The beauty of the Instagram community is the diversity of its members," Instagram co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom said in a blog post. "All different types of people -- from diverse backgrounds, races, genders, sexual orientations, abilities and more -- call Instagram home, but sometimes the comments on their posts can be unkind."
Systrom said that it's his company's responsibility to "promote a culture where everyone feels safe to be themselves without criticism or harassment."