Instagram Has A New Way To Stamp Out Trolls: Block Them With Positivity

Kill them with kindness, Instagram says, with the rollout of an all-new way to defeat trolls and bullies online. 
 
Previously, the social network had several ways to remove hateful direct messages (DM) and comments by having an AI bot scan for different trigger words or allowing people to block a user and all of their accounts from reaching out.
 
But if all else fails, what’s next? It turns out that the answer is to plead with them to consider a more positive approach to their online habits.
 
When someone opens up a direct message and is about to berate the other user with malicious words, the app will send a “kindness reminder” that pops up asking the account holder to “help keep Instagram a supportive place.”

These nudges will pop up if you try to DM someone with over 10,000 followers or reply to a comment thread with a message the algorithm may deem as damaging.
 
The alerts aim to ask people to stop and think before they do. While it might not seem as effective as the previous method of shadowbanning with no remorse, Instagram begs to differ, saying that the prompts have been effective since they were first introduced—and limited—to the comments sections in 2019.

Instagram’s previous anti-troll efforts have also sought to safeguard teenagers from bullying and from becoming obsessed or emotionally affected by what they see on the app. 
 
For now, this new system will roll out to select languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese, and Arabic. So trolls outside these languages will still roam free without having their morality questioned on the app.
 
 
 
[via DIY Photography and Vox, images via Instagram]