Instagram is battling online harassment with both fists up as it rolls out a new feature that will allow you turn off comments on your photos.
“To empower each individual, we need to promote a culture where everyone feels safe to be themselves without criticism or harassment,” Kevin Systrom, Instagram CEO and co-founder, wrote in a blog post on Tuesday.
“It’s not only my personal wish to do this, I believe it’s also our responsibility as a company.”
He added: “Since the beginning of Instagram, we have focused on making it a welcoming place for everyone. In September, I shared our commitment to keeping Instagram a positive place for self-expression. I’d like to tell you about a few more tools we’re launching to keep people safe.”
The new features will be available to Instagram users over the next few weeks.
To turn comments off, tap “Advanced Settings” before you post and then select “Turn Off Commenting.” You can also tap the “…” menu any time after posting to turn commenting back on.
This will allow users control over what comes their way, like a super-filter as opposed to the update in September where one could only block certain keywords.
Users with locked accounts will also be able to “remove” followers, where previously they could only block an account.
“Going forward, if your account is private, you can remove followers by going to your list of followers and tapping the … menu next to any person’s name. The person will not be notified that you removed them as a follower.”
Instagram is also emulating Facebook by allowing you to like comments on posts by tapping the heart icon that appears next to them.