Instagram launches feature to prevent hate speech and online abuse

Instagram launches a new feature that will prevent users from seeing hateful or abusive DMs, by filtering words, phrases, and emojis in the application.

The company also announced that in addition to the filter selection for hateful or abusive DMs messages, it will no longer be easy for those who have been blocked from users to bypass the block and get back in touch with them via new accounts. Instagram is intensely trying to deal with hate speech and cyber-attacks on its platform, which in younger ages is more popular than Facebook's main platform.

Options for this new feature will be found in a new section of the Privacy Settings called “Hidden Words”. Any filtered DM requests will appear in a separate hidden requests folder and the message text will be covered so you can’t read it until you tap on the message. Furthermore, you’ll be able to accept the request, delete it, or report it.

This new DM request filter is rolling out to several countries in the coming weeks and will expand to more countries over the next few months.