Instagram rolls out keyword moderation tool so you can filter out distasteful comments

Instagram is rolling out a new keyword moderation tool today, as the Facebook-owned photo and video platform looks to help its 500 million-plus community filter out comments they find offensive.

The initiative represents an extension of a program first unveiled for businesses and celebrities a couple of months back, with model Christine Teigen tweeting out a handful of notable examples of words she was planning to block from the comments section on her published photos.

https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/760478401119465473

Now, the keyword filtering tool is being made available to anyone on mobile. To access the feature, hit the little gear / three-dot icon on your profile, tap on “Comments,” and then activate “Hide Inappropriate Comments” which switches on Instagram’s default list of often-reported troll words, though you can also manually input terms too, meaning those comments will be hidden from view.

Above: Keyword Moderation Tool (Instagram)

“The beauty of the Instagram community is the diversity of its members,” said Instagram cofounder and CEO Kevin Systrom 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. To empower each individual, we need to promote a culture where everyone feels safe to be themselves without criticism or harassment. It’s not only my personal wish to do this, I believe it’s also our responsibility as a company. So, today, we’re taking the next step to ensure Instagram remains a positive place to express yourself.”

Online abuse has emerged as a key pain point for social networks, with Twitter often hitting the headlines for its role in enabling bullying online — this is why Twitter is rumored to be working on an anti-harassment tool similar to what Instagram has here. But that has yet to materialize.