Instagram launches tools to filter out abusive DMs based on keywords and emojis, and to block people, even on new accounts

Facebook and its family of apps have long

grappled with the issue of how to better manage — and eradicate —

bullying and other harassment on its platform, turning both to

algorithms and humans in its efforts to tackle the problem better. In

the latest development, today, Instagram is announcing some new tools of

its own.First, it’s introducing a new way for people to further

shield themselves from harassment in their direct messages, specifically

in message requests by way of a new set of words, phrases and emojis

that might signal abusive content, which will also include common

misspellings of those key terms, sometimes used to try to evade the

filters. Second, it’s giving users the ability to proactively block

people even if they try to contact the user in question over a new

account.