This week, parent company Facebook announced that it was rolling out Sensitive Content Control on Instagram, a filter to limit the amount of potentially upsetting content that the platform suggests to users in the Explore tab. Users are encouraged to click on the Explore tab when they want to discover other interesting accounts they do not yet follow. The types of accounts and content on Instagram varies greatly. The platform considers sexually suggestive or violent content to be sensitive. “We believe people should be able to shape Instagram into the experience that they want,” Facebook wrote in the announcement. Instagram does not allow hate speech, bullying, or any content that might present a risk of harm, but some of the “allowed” content may still be somewhat disquieting to certain users. The new Sensitive Content Control feature allows those users to ensure they will not be presented with anything potentially upsetting.
