Instagram has announced a new set of features to help protect users from abuse on the platform. Instagram will now allow users to limit comments and DM requests during spokes of increased attention; send stronger warnings when people try to post potentially offensive comments; and will rollout globally its Hidden Words feature, which allows users to filter abusive DM requests. 

In a statement, Instagram said: "We have a responsibility to make sure everyone feels safe when they come to Instagram. We don’t allow hate speech or bullying on Instagram, and we remove it whenever we find it. We also want to protect people from having to experience this abuse in the first place, which is why we’re constantly listening to feedback from experts and our community, and developing new features to give people more control over their experience on Instagram, and help protect them from abuse."