Since data breaches and cyber attacks are becoming increasingly common, Instagram, like many other platforms, is upgrading its stance on user safety with the rollout of a new feature. It is aimed at preventing unwanted images and videos in Direct Messages (DMs). This update was unveiled shortly after its initial testing phase, signaling the platform’s commitment to user experience.

The update is aimed towards preventing unsolicited DMs within the Instagram app

This freshly-introduced feature introduces two key changes in the DM dynamic:

  1. A user who intends to send a DM to someone not in their followers’ list will now be confined to a single message. They can only have an extended conversation if the recipient accepts the chat request. This will reduce the spam coming through, especially for bigger accounts.
  2. Initially, DM requests can only be text-based. Multimedia messages, like images, videos, or voice notes, will only be allowed to send after the acceptance of chat request.
Instagram

These changes primarily tackle the distress caused by unsought messages and media, especially for women who are often the target of unasked-for explicit content. Cindy Southworth, Meta’s Women’s Safety Head, emphasized the company’s intent: “Our primary goal is ensuring users feel both secure and empowered when they access their inbox. Feedback from our community has been instrumental in shaping this feature, reinforcing our mission to bolster safety on Instagram.”

Complementing this update are Instagram’s existing safety nets, which are getting an upgrade as well. The “Hidden Words” feature segregates potentially offensive DMs, ensuring users aren’t blindsided by abusive content. The “Limits” tool acts as a shield against abrupt increases in unwanted interactions. Furthermore, the “Restrict” option gives users a discreet method to monitor potential harassers. Activating this option ensures comments from the restricted user remain concealed from the public view, while their DMs are moved to the request section. Lastly, users can also use the blocking feature, which even provides an added layer of security by enabling the blocking of other related accounts of the flagged user. Hopefully, these new changes will contribute towards the betterment of the platform in the long run.

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