New Instagram comment controls keep the haters at bay
It’s hard enough to deal with trolls online who want to ruin your day. When they get to the Insta, that’s the final straw.
Luckily, Instagram has rolled out a new solution to keep you from having to deal with anyone who wants to come rain on your parade, while allowing you to retain a public account. The feature, called “Comment Controls,” is a new set of options that can help you block particular accounts from commenting entirely.
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For example, you can keep people who can comment on those selfies and delicious food grams relegated to people you follow and your followers alone. That way no strangers can worm their way into your public space unless you decide to allow them. You can change up options with a private account too, and can even block specific accounts from there no matter if they allow you or not.
If it’s language you’re concerned about, you can block offensive language in an expanded set of tongues: Arabic, French, German, and Portuguese have been added. No matter if English is your native language or not, you’re protected from potentially harmful comments.
The controls and improvements Instagram has been rolling out aren’t only meant to protect users from hateful comments and trolls, however. It’s also working on features aimed at mental health issues and supporting those in the Instagram community. If you’re viewing a live stream from someone who seems as though they may need a helping hand or some kind of help, you can anonymously flag the video and send the streamer options for a 24/7 help line, friendly support, and more.
Instagram is working to turn around hate speech and harmful interactions, and these new features should help curb some of the frustration that comes along with going online and meeting new people. It’ll never be perfect, but Instagram is certainly making waves.
