Instagram’s new account tools ramp up war on bullying

Instagram’s new tools will make it easier to tackle bullying on the social network.

What you need to know

• Instagram’s new tools will grant users more control over their account.
• From today, users will be able to mass delete comments and control who can tag or mention them.
• The company is also testing a pinned comments feature.

Instagram today launched a selection of tools that would make it easier for users to retain control of their accounts. Specifically, users now have more control over what comments are displayed under their photos and who can tag or mention them.

As per the Instagram team:

First, we’re launching a new feature to help people manage multiple unwanted interactions at once. We know it can feel overwhelming to manage a rush of negative comments, so we’ve been testing the ability to delete comments in bulk, as well as block or restrict multiple accounts that post negative comments. Early feedback has been encouraging, and we’ve found that it helps people, especially with larger followings, maintain a positive environment on their account.

Instagram will also let you focus on the good and share positive comments with its new pinned comments feature (though it’s not hard to see how that can be misused). It’s currently testing that out with a select group of users.

[W]e want to give people an easy way to amplify and encourage positive interactions. Soon, we’ll begin testing Pinned Comments. This feature gives people a way to set the tone for their account and engage with their community by pinning a select number of comments to the top of their comments thread.

Finally, Instagram is adding new controls letting you restrict people who can tag or mention you, likely to prevent pile-ons and harassment.

In a time where people are both on edge and looking for more positivity, social networks like Facebook and Twitter have taken on the challenge with new hug emojis and prompts urging users to rethink potentially hurtful words. Instagram’s new tools are a bit late to the party, but every little bit helps.

Instagram: Everything you need to know