Instagram Introduces New Safety Control Feature to Help Users Deal with Harassment

In a recent update, Instagram has introduced a new safety control feature called “limits” that allows users to hide DMs and comments from accounts that may be harassing them. This feature goes beyond just hiding content from recent followers or non-followers, as it now mutes incoming messages from everyone except those on the user’s close friends list. This new feature aims to help users deal with unwanted messages and comments from bullies and other malicious users, providing a way to filter out negative interactions without completely disconnecting from their community.

How Limits Work

When a user sets limits to restrict interactions from everyone except close friends, they will only see DMs, tags, and mentions from people on their list. Others who are not on the close friends list can still interact with the user’s posts, but the user won’t see these updates. Importantly, the accounts that are limited will not be notified that their content has been hidden. Users have the option to view or ignore the limited comments and DMs, giving them control over their interactions on the platform.

To enable limits on Instagram, users can tap on their profile, select the hamburger menu in the top-right corner, and choose “Limited interactions.” From there, users can toggle on limits for accounts that aren’t following them, recent followers, or everyone except their close friends. Additionally, Instagram has expanded its restrict feature, allowing users to prevent others from tagging or mentioning them in addition to hiding their comments.

These new features come as Instagram faces heightened scrutiny from the US government regarding the safety of its users, particularly young users. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, recently implemented a feature that prevents adults from messaging minors by default on both Instagram and Facebook. Furthermore, the company has taken steps to hide content related to suicide and eating disorders from teenagers on its platforms, reflecting a broader commitment to protecting vulnerable users.