Instagram is reportedly working on a new feature that will protect users from getting explicit content or nudity in direct messages (DMs) from people they don’t know. The feature is being tested to automatically hide nudes that you didn’t ask for in your DMs.
The feature, aptly named “Nudity Protection,” is in development, but it should roll out to users in the coming weeks.
The announcement was first spotted in a tweet by the app developer and reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who reported that Instagram’s nudity protection feature would use on-device technology to cover up photos that may contain nudity in chats. Describing its functionality, Paluzzi said, “Technology on your device covers photos that may contain nudity in chats.” Instagram CAN’T access photos. ”
https://twitter.com/alex193a/status/1571924946183397377
A screenshot of the feature in the works shows that Instagram won’t be able to see the photos. Also, the screenshot shows that offensive images will stay hidden unless the user chooses to look at them.
This was also confirmed in a statement by Instagram’s parent company, Meta. Meta confirmed the feature’s existence and revealed that it is still in the early stages of development and will be optional for users. It will be an opt-in feature, and Instagram won’t enable it by default on rollout.
Meta says it wants to keep people’s eyes from nude photos or other unwanted messages.
An added security measure has been taken to address privacy concerns arising from Instagram’s ability to analyze photos in your DMs. The company says it can’t review or share the image with anyone.
Meta spokesperson Liz Fernandez said, “We’re working closely with experts to ensure these new features preserve people’s privacy while giving them control over the messages they receive.” The company said again that neither Instagram nor Meta would be able to see the actual messages or share them with other people.
Read also: Instagram Launches Payment feature in DM
Currently, no further information has been given concerning Instagram’s nudity protection feature. The company plans to share more details ahead of any tests in the coming weeks.
The new feature is similar to the “Hidden Words” tool the company launched last year. This feature allows users to filter abusive messages in DM requests based on keywords.
When the Nudity Protection feature is enabled, Instagram will blur the photo attached in the chat if it detects it has nudity. This will be done automatically. You will then get a notification that the message you’ve received has a photo that contains nudity, with the option to access the content if you want.
Introducing a Nudity Protection feature will go a long way in helping the company to improve protection for younger users.
Instagram Protection for Younger Users
Many young people enjoy using Instagram. Although you can find fun and entertaining content, the app is also a place where fraud, sexual content, cyberbullying, and abuse are common.
Last year, Instagram made the accounts for users under 16 “private” by default, which made it harder for young people to find potentially suspicious accounts. This provided a safer and more personal experience for younger users on the platform.
It also limits advertisers’ ability to reach young people. The company has made new software to look for accounts that act in ways that could be suspicious and to stop those accounts from interacting with the accounts of people under 18.
Using the Protection features
Parents who want to protect their children from potentially harmful content can use Instagram’s parental controls. People who try to re-follow will be rejected.
- Non-followers can still see your teen’s username, photo, bio, and website even though the account is private. And so to prevent this, don’t put any personal information in the bio description of the profile. Such information includes house address, mobile number, school location, etc.
- Filter out bad comments so they don’t show up on posts. A general “Hide Offensive Comments” people have been added. They won’t be able to write comments to your teen’s posts and will only be seen by your teen and not by anyone else.
- You can stop specific accounts from seeing your child’s “stories” posts. This tip will come in handy if your teen posts stories that aren’t acceptable or applicable to a specific group of followers.
- Sharing stories with close friends is a great option as it makes your teen’s post visible to a selected group of people. It works just like the way of hiding “stories” from selected Instagram followers.
- Use the “Block” feature to prevent accounts from following your teen on Instagram. First, identify the particular account, then tap the three dots at the top right and select “Block”. This will hide your child’s account from this user. He or she cannot view posts and stories or send a direct message to your teen’s account.
- Talk to your teen about the dangers of Internet scams and how he or she can stay safe online. Your child also needs to know how to report any account that seems suspicious. To report an account, tap the three dots at the top right corner of the user’s profile (or direct message chat), then select Report.
Instagram’s Other New Features
Speaking of new Instagram features in testing, the social media platform is also working on a new monetization tool for its creators called “repost” and “gifts.” The gifts feature allows users to send two types of gifts to creators, along with a personalized message.