Instagram has added various features, such as limit and restrict, to prevent harassment and abuse on its platform. The upgrade was made following user complaints and criticism about the safety of young users. Also, US states criticized Instagram for not safeguarding children from harmful behaviors in 2023.
Improved Limit and Restrict Instagram Features Protect Young Users
Limit is a feature that controls the visibility of posts, comments, direct messages, tags, or mentions. With this upgrade, people can decide. Who sees their posts, hence comments, direct messages (DMs), tags, or mentions, by limiting them only to close friends. Other followers are still allowed to comment, but no one else will see those comments or messages, for that matter.
Restrict lets them restrict accounts that can tag or mention them on posts they don’t want involving certain people.
Another change allows users to control who can see their posts and interact with them. Thanks to these improved limits, users can now control who sees what content they post on Instagram and how others engage with it. For instance, those who wish can set their posts for viewing by close friends only. Then, they can allow them to view comments, DM tags, or mentions. At the same time, they are blocking everyone else from seeing these parts of their content.
Instagram Moves Against Harassment And Abuse Towards Teenagers
Following concerns raised by US states over inadequate protection accorded young users against harassment. Abuse, an accusation which Meta denied during a 2023 lawsuit filed against it by dozens of American states claiming inability to protect kids from harmful behavior. Platforms, the social media giant, has taken measures aimed at safeguarding teenagers from bullying and maltreatment on its site.
More Safety Measures Have Been Adopted
Accordingly, more safety measures have been adopted so far after many users complained about being bullied or harassed while using this service, which were then reviewed negatively by critics due to lack thereof in ensuring security among minors, especially when interacting with strangers online, therefore posing risks such as pedophilia etcetera:
Improved Limit feature: users can now choose who sees their posts and comments
Improved Restrict Instagram feature:
Users can now restrict accounts that tag or mention them on posts they don’t want involving certain people. Users Given More Control Over Who Can See Their Content And Interact With Them On The Platform
The updated limit feature gives the user the power to decide who gets to see what content they post on Instagram features. They can limit these views only among close friends if they so wish. Since those are the only people allowed access, comments, DMs, tags, or mentions will also be visible to them alone but not anyone else.
Instagram Moves To Protect Teenagers From Harassment And Abuse
This was in response to criticism by US states following several complaints from parents about harmful behavior directed towards their children through social media, with most pointing an accusing finger at Instagram, which, according to them, did little or nothing at all to ensure the safety among minors more so during interaction with strangers online.
Instagram has improved Safety Measures.
Accordingly, safety measures have been improved following various user complaints, which were then criticized for failing to provide enough protection against bullying or harassment on this platform, where many teens claim having been targeted by such acts perpetrated through fake profiles created by unknown individuals pretending love interests, etcetera:
