Instagram to disable accounts that send abusive DMs

Instagram plans stricter action on accounts that repeatedly send abusive DMs.

Instagram hate speech

Instagram has updated its hate speech policy to accounts that send abusive messages through DMs. Instagram will start disabling accounts that use DMs to continuously send abusive and hateful messages.

Instagram's current stand on abusive DMs is that it prohibits accounts from sending messages for a certain period of time. Now if accounts continue to send abusive messages, Instagram will disable these accounts. Instagram said it will also disable new accounts created to get around the platform's messaging restrictions. It will also disable accounts that are created only to send abusive messages.

Instagram currently lets business and creator accounts switch off DMs from people they don't follow. This helps avoid abusive messages as these accounts receive the most, Instagram said. Instagram has started expanding this feature to personal accounts in many countries, and plans to make it available to all users soon.

There are already a bunch of tools and features available for users to avoid hate comments and replies. But DMs are still a tricky space as they're private. Instagram is working on a feature to tackle abusive DMs that it plans to launch in the coming months.

Instagram has been updating its hate speech controls which is majorly for comments and posts. Instagram said it took action on 6.5 million pieces of hate speech, including in DMs during July and September last year. The new update on hate speech rules come after the recent racist abuse footballers in the UK faced through Instagram DMs. Instagram also said it's working with the UK law enforcement to respond to valid legal requests in these cases.