DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Instagram rolls out “Restrict,” a tool that lets you shadowban bullies from your account

Oct 3, 2019 by Dunja Djudjic Leave a Comment

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

A few months ago, Instagram began testing “Restrict,” a feature that lets you shadowban anyone who is bullying you on the platform. After the tests, it has now been rolled out to anyone. “Restrict” allows you to quietly protect your account from bullies, while still keeping an eye on them and take additional actions if you need to.

There are a few ways to restrict someone on Instagram. If they leave you a nasty comment, you can swipe left on the comment and choose “Restrict.” Alternatively, you can do it through the Privacy tab in Settings, or directly on the profile of the user you want to restrict.

So, what happens when you restrict someone? And how is it different from blocking or reporting them? Well, the person you have restricted will still see their comments on your profile, which doesn’t happen when you block them. They can also still post comments to your photos, but you won’t receive any notifications, and only they will be able to see what they commented. You can choose what to do with these comments: you can tap “See Comment” to see them; you can approve them so they’re visible to everyone; you can delete them, or simply ignore them.

Another difference is obvious within direct messaging. When a user you restricted sends you a direct message, it will automatically be moved to Message Request, and you will not receive notifications. You can still view the messages if you like, but the restricted user will not be able to see when you’ve read them, or when you’re active on the platform. Finally, if you want future messages to go straight to your inbox, you can choose to “Unrestrict” the user.

“But why wouldn’t you simply block the jerk who’s leaving you nasty comments?” you may wonder. That’s certainly what I do whenever someone is acting inappropriately, and I believe many of us do. The thing is: it turns out that many people are reluctant to do it. “We’ve heard from young people in our community that they’re reluctant to block, unfollow, or report their bully because it could escalate the situation,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri explained while the feature was still being tested. It could especially be tricky if they interact with the bully in real life. In addition, blocking someone disables you from keeping an eye on the bully. So, the “Restrict” feature deals with these problems. When you restrict someone, they don’t know that they’ve been excluded from your profile. At the same time, you have the choice to still see what they post and take additional actions if it’s necessary.

The “Restrict” feature is the latest of Instagram’s several tools for fighting bullying and harassment. Previously, the platform turned to AI to fight against comment trolls, but it also gave users control over the comments on their posts. All these features are a part of an effort to make Instagram a safer and more enjoyable place for everyone.

[via Endgadget, Instagram; image credits: Instagram]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Instagram soon to restrict posts about diet products and cosmetic surgery This Instagram account shows that all Instagram accounts are the same Instagram rolls out Focus, its own “portrait mode” for photos and videos Instagram’s hidden likes test rolls out worldwide

Filed Under: news Tagged With: bullying, Comments, Instagram, Restrict, shadowban

About Dunja Djudjic

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

« SmallHD launches new Cine and Vision Series 4K HDR monitors
Photographer’s iPhone records its own falls from a plane, survives 13 months in Icelandic wilderness »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Apply to this Maldives resort to ‘win’ a 3 week job as Honeymoon photographer
  • Reviving a Legend: Repairing a Mamiya RB67
  • Sony’s ZV-E1 is a cut-down FX3 in a vlogging form factor
  • Watch: How good (or bad) is an $8.50 tripod?
  • How to light and photograph Lego building interiors

Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy