Although Instagram is great for connecting with friends and scouting potential partners, not all comments or DM slides are friendly. The social media platform has now introduced an update to curb abusive messages. This will allow you to post thirst traps again in peace.Instagram's new feature Limits, which was announced in a blog post Wednesday, allows users to hide comments and DMs from other users who haven't followed them for a while or just recently started following them. Users can communicate with their regular audience while still protecting themselves against attackers."Our research has shown that many negative comments towards public figures come from people who don’t follow them or have just recently followed them. They simply pile on in this moment," Instagram said, pointing out the rise in racist abuses directed at English footballers online following the Euro 2020 final. Limits allow you to hear from long-standing fans while restricting contact from those who may only be trying to target your account.Limits comes after Instagram launched Hidden Words in April. This feature allows users to filter abusive comments and DMs using specific words or emoji. The company also offered the ability to block an account or create new accounts.SEE ALSO: How to filter abusive comments on Instagram and direct messagesInstagram claims that Limits will be accessible globally to all users. You don't need to be famous to use them. Go to your profile page and click "Limits". You can set up separate limits for non-followers or new followers. This allows you to disallow communication from either one of these groups. Instagram will remind you to remove them.You can also access Instagram's comments and messages settings to allow only certain followers. Additionally, you have the option to use the "Restrict” option to restrict accounts and not reveal their identities. Limits allows you to restrict new followers, but it's a few toggles rather than a lengthy checklist.Mia Garlick from Facebook Australia's policy team stated that the new features she was launching today were "the next step in our ongoing effort to combat racism, hate speech, and other forms of hatred across our platform." We are committed to working with experts, sports leagues and governments to eradicate hate online and offline. However, we believe these new features will help protect everyone in our community against abusive content.However, this doesn't mean that abusive comments will disappear in the ether. Instagram has provided a screenshot that shows comments and messages from accounts within the restricted categories will be hidden "unless you approve them," meaning users will still be able to view them. This is not good news for mental health.Mashable's tests showed that Limits has not yet been available to all accounts, but we anticipate it will soon. It's hard to believe that Instagram's new feature will arrive so quickly, considering the prevalence of targeted harassment on social media.
