Instagram Introduces Protection Feature Amid Safety Concerns - The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
Instagram, the popular social media platform, is taking proactive measures to improve the safety of its users, especially teenagers. With increasing worries about the negative impact of social media on mental health and the safety of young users, Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has recently unveiled a new protective feature.
Here are the details of this safety measure:
- Nudity Detection and Blurring: Instagram has introduced a new feature that uses on-device machine learning to detect and blur images that contain nudity in direct messages. This feature is automatically enabled for users who are under the age of 18. Additionally, Meta plans to prompt adult users to enable this feature. It is important to note that the images are analyzed on the user’s device, meaning the nudity protection feature also works in end-to-end encrypted chats. In such chats, Meta will not have access to these images unless someone chooses to report them.
- Sextortion Scam Identification: Meta is currently working on developing technology that can identify accounts that may be involved in sextortion scams. As part of this effort, the company is experimenting with new pop-up messages that are designed to warn users who may have interacted with such accounts. The goal is to protect the Instagram community from online exploitation more effectively.
These safety features come in response to increasing scrutiny from regulators in both the United States and Europe. Meta faces allegations that its platforms contribute to addiction and mental health issues among teens. Earlier, Meta announced measures to hide sensitive content related to topics like suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders from teenage users on Facebook and Instagram. The company’s proactive stance on user safety has also been highlighted by legal actions, including lawsuits from attorneys general in the U.S. and inquiries from the European Commission regarding child protection.
FAQ:
1. How does the nudity detection feature work?
The nudity detection feature on Instagram is designed to enhance user safety by identifying and handling images containing nudity in direct messages. Here’s how it works:
- Detection and Blurring: When a user sends or receives an image in a chat, Instagram’s on-device machine learning analyzes the content. If the image contains nudity, the system automatically blurs it. Users then have the option to view the blurred image or not. This feature is activated by default for users under the age of 18. Adult users can also choose to enable it
- Privacy and Control: Importantly, Instagram ensures user privacy by not accessing the images themselves. The company cannot share these images with third parties. This approach strikes a balance between privacy and safety, allowing users to have control over the messages they receive.Privacy and Control: Importantly, Instagram ensures user privacy by not accessing the images themselves. The company cannot share these images with third parties. This approach strikes a balance between privacy and safety, allowing users to have control over the messages they receive.
- Similarity to Hidden Words: The new nudity protection feature is akin to the Hidden Words tool launched last year. Hidden Words allows users to filter out abusive messages in DM requests based on specific keywords. If a request contains any of the filter words chosen by the user, it’s automatically placed in a hidden folder, which the user can choose to open or leave unopened.
This proactive step by Instagram aims to address the issue of unsolicited nude photos, which has been a pervasive problem on social media platforms. By implementing this feature, Instagram seeks to create a safer environment for its users
2. Is this feature also available for stories and posts?
Yes, Instagram has taken measures to address potentially harmful content in Feeds and Stories as well. As of an update on August 23, 2022, content that may contain adult nudity and sexual themes is shown lower in Feed and Stories. This is in addition to the sensitive content control feature introduced earlier. which allows user to decide how much sensitive content shows up in Explore.
To summarize, Instagram’s safety features include:
- Nudity detection in DMs: Blurs images containing nudity in direct messages, with the feature being on by default for users under 18.
- Sensitive Content Control: Allows users to adjust the amount of sensitive content they see in Explore.
- Content Ranking in Feed and Stories: Potentially harmful content, such as adult nudity and sexual themes, is ranked lower to reduce visibility.
These features are part of Instagram’s ongoing efforts to create a safe online environment for all users, especially teenagers.
3. Can users customize the sensitivity of this feature?
As of now, Instagram does not provide users with the option to customize the sensitivity of the nudity detection feature. The blurring of images containing nudity is activated by default for users under the age of 18, and adult users can also choose to enable it. However, the specific sensitivity settings are not adjustable by individual users.