As part of an effort to keep its site troll-free, Instagram has launched a range of new tools today.
The new features include comment controls, kindness stickers and anonymous reporting for Live Videos.
Instagram hopes that these updates will help to build a community where users feel safe to be themselves without criticism or harassment.
As part of an ongoing effort to keep its site positive and safe, Instagram has launched a range of new tools today. People with public accounts can now choose who can comment on their posts, from everyone to just specific people
Instagram has added more comment controls to keep people feeling safe and welcome on the site.
A spokesperson for Instagram said: ‘In the past year, Instagram has launched a number of tools to help people control the comment experience, and today they are announcing more that will help give people the power to have a positive comment experience.’
People with public accounts can now choose who can comment on their posts, from everyone to just specific groups.
And those with private accounts can now block certain accounts from commenting on their posts.
Another new update is ‘Kindness Stickers’ – heart-shaped stickers in Instagram Stories.
The Instagram spokesperson said: ‘Turn any photo or video into a visual expression of kindness by using the new heart-shape sticker collection.
‘All six stickers were made by artists from the Instagram global community.’
If you see a kindness sticker in someone’s story, you can tap it to find out who created it.
Instagram has also updated its feature that allows users to block offensive comments, expanding this filter to Arabic, French, German and Portuguese, as well as English.
This feature can be accessed through the ‘Comments’ section of the Settings menu.
The final new update is anonymous reporting for Live Video.
The Instagram spokesperson said: ‘Instagram are continuing to provide mental health resources to people when they need them the most.
‘Now, when people see someone going through a difficult time or in need of support during a live broadcast, they can anonymously report it.
Another new update is ‘Kindness Stickers’ – heart-shaped stickers in Instagram Stories. If you see a kindness sticker in someone’s story, you can tap it to find out who created it
‘The person will see a message offering help with options to talk to a helpline, reach out to a friend or get other tips and support.’
The reporting tool can be accessed by clicking on the three dots in the comments bar at the top of the screen.
The Instagram spokesperson added: ‘Instagram have teams working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, around the world to be there when people need them most.
‘This is an important step in ensuring that people get help wherever they are on Instagram or off.’
The new features are available now to Instagram users globally.