Instagram to blur war, famine ‘sensitive’ photos

London, March 25: If you notice that your Instagram posts have suddenly become blurred, don't worry it's not a new filter. The social network will begin blurring out photos and videos that contain “sensitive” content, media reports said.

According to The Verge, if an Instagram user reports a post and if the Instagram moderation team agrees that it is “sensitive,” then the image will appear blurred out. A warning will also appear on top of the post reading: “This photo contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing.” A user will have to tap a button before seeing the post, it said.

Instagram said the filter will first be used to obscure photos of shocking events of “humanitarian crises” like war and famine — and could be expanded to cover sexual material too. The company told Verge that posts that depict violence will be considered “sensitive”. “Examples include animal rights groups that share content to expose animal testing conditions or animal abuse, or content that raises awareness of humanitarian crises around the world (famine, impact of war on local communities),” the company wrote in an email to Verge.

So will sexually explicit photos be blurred too? Instagram hasn't ruled out that option just yet. “Over time we will explore expanding the application of screens into other areas,” it wrote. It said the goal of blurring posts is to “build a safe environment” for users.

Instagram also announced a new safety resources site, instagramtogether.com. TechCrunch reports that Instagram will also be bringing a much-needed security tool to all users, two-factor authentication, which adds an extra layer of identification to your account. — Agencies