New York, NY, September 13, 2016 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today commended Instagram for its announcement on safety, civility, and the establishment of a new keyword moderation tool.
In a blog post on September 12, the photo-sharing platform owned by Facebook articulated its concern over the evolution and volume of troubling content and the need to “promote a culture where everyone feels safe to be themselves without criticism or harassment.”
“We are deeply pleased that Instagram has recognized the pressing need to counter problematic content with the creation of this new filter,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “Their willingness to identify safety as a major priority is crucial in the fight against cyberhate and online harassment. Since its inception, Instagram has served as a positive safe space, and it is tremendously encouraging to see them take the initiative to keep it that way.
“We are gratified that Instagram has joined the growing number of social media services and technology companies who have exhibited responsibility and maturation through better safety measures,” Mr. Greenblatt said. “Such proactive efforts demonstrate that firms can adopt market-based approaches to encourage civility on their platforms, models that respect the First Amendment even while enhancing the experience of their users.”
Several social media services, including Instagram, recently have endorsed ADL’s Best Practices for Responding to Cyberhate, which guides Internet users to the best known platforms’ response to online hate speech and serves as a foundational piece for collaboration between industry and non-industry experts.
In an attempt to help users better navigate the various mechanisms available for reporting online hate speech, ADL created the Cyber-Safety Action Guide, a platform where consumers can learn how to report bigoted or hateful speech to the major Internet companies.