As social media giants Twitter and Facebook crackdown on online harassment, Instagram announced that its users will have the option to filter or disable comments on their personal accounts.
As per the new upgrades, users of the photo and video sharing app will be able to create word filters, enabling them to control the tone of dialogues and debates under each image, or opt turn off comments completely.
The Washington Post reported that the new aspects are already being tested on "high-profile" accounts of celebrities which attract a large volume of comments. The service will be officially rolled out to public figures initially, and will then be made available to the masses.
Instagram's head of public policy, Nicky Jackson Colaco, said that the company's aim is to make the app "a safe place for self-expression".
"Instagram has gradually started to provide accounts with high volume comment threads the choice to restrain their comment experience,"he said. "The company is looking forward to improving the comment experience for a broader community."
According to The Washington Post, Instagram will also enable its users to decide to switch off comments on their accounts on a post-by-post manner.
In placing abuse-prevention control in the hands its users, Instagram hopes each person or corporation can make the judgment on where to draw the line on what's acceptable for them and what is not.