Instagram’s latest announcement might have just put an end to the era of Flat Tummy Tea. The social media giant just revealed that it will block minors’ access to posts promoting weight-loss products or cosmetic procedures.
With Instagram becoming a hot-bed for celebrity-endorsed diet teas, supplements and in some cases plastic surgery – the move comes after advocates, like the Good Place’s Jameela Jamil, put pressure on the company to take measures over the last year.
“We want Instagram to be a positive place for everyone that uses it and this policy is part of our ongoing work to reduce the pressure that people can sometimes feel as a result of social media,” said Emma Collins, Instagram’s public policy manager. This means that posts featuring weight-loss products, plastic surgery, with an incentive to buy, will be restricted from viewing by those 18 and under, and in some cases they will be entirely removed.
To make this happen, the company will be implementing a new feature that will allow users to report posts they deem to violate the policy.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2j3XdWl_lG/
“We are changing the world together. After a bunch of shouting, screaming, and petitioning… we have managed to get the attention of the people at the top, and they have heard us and want to protect us,” Jamil wrote in an Instagram post celebrating the policy.
This isn’t the first time Instagram has made a move towards removing the pressures that come with navigating the social network. The company is currently testing out the removal of likes in an effort to help people put more focus on the content they share rather than the number of likes they get on their photos.
