Instagram Users Can Now Automatically Block Offensive Comments

By Nathan Olivarez-Giles

In a new effort to fight harassment, Instagram is now letting users ban offensive comments from showing up beneath their photos and video.

The Facebook Inc.-owned service rolled out its new comments moderation tool to users Monday in an update to its iOS and Android mobile apps. The comments moderation tool is found in a new section of the Instagram app's settings menu labeled "Comments."

The moderation tool lets users block "inappropriate comments" from showing up in their comments with a simple switch. You can also go into the tool and create a list of words you deem to be offensive.

If you use the tool, comments containing the offending words will be hidden from everyone including you -- everyone but the comment poster, that is. The commenter won't know that his or her words were hidden, said Instagram. Perhaps this will prevent retaliation.

Since July, that same tool has been available to some verified user accounts (celebrities and other public figures), business users and other accounts that get a large number of comments.

The new comment moderation tool is the biggest move from Instagram to fight harassment since April 2015, when it rewrote its community guidelines to state that "serious threats of harm to public and personal safely aren't allowed." Back then, Instagram had 300 million monthly users; today it has about 500 million.

"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," said Kevin Systrom, Instagram's CEO, in a statement Monday. "We know tools aren't the only solution for this complex problem, but together, we can work towards keeping Instagram a safe place for self-expression."

Write to Nathan Olivarez-Giles at Nathan.Olivarez-giles@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 12, 2016 17:37 ET (21:37 GMT)

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