Social media platform Facebook announced a new setting that allows users to limit how much potentially sensitive content shows in the Instagram Explore tab.
According to The Verge, “The new Sensitive Content Control setting will let users see more or less of some types of sensitive content,” which may be “upsetting or offensive.”
However, the content has three levels, “Allow”, “Limit (Default)”, and “Limit Even More”.
While, the company said, “If the content goes against our recommendation guidelines, user can use the sensitive content controls to reduce it in a place like Explore instead of removing it from Instagram. This control is automatically set to Limited, but you can choose to view more or less sensitive content at any time.”
The Company says sensitive content could include “posts that may be sexually suggestive or violent” or promoting things like tobacco or pharmaceutical use.
According to Facebook, the setting will be accessible by going to the user’s profile, then tapping Settings > Account > Sensitive Content Control. The feature doesn’t seem to have rolled out to all users yet: the option didn’t appear for me or a few of my colleagues.
Facebook says that the setting to allow sensitive content may not be available to people under 18 years old.
This announcement comes at a time when many social networks, especially photo and video sharing platforms, are trying to figure out how to deal with content that may be upsetting to some users but engaging for others.