Instagram updates policy on nudity in direct messages
Instagram will automatically blur nude images in direct messages sent to users under 18 by default and encourage adult users through a notification to turn on the feature, the company announced Thursday.
The update aims to both protect users from seeing unwanted nudity in their direct messages as well as from potential sextortion scammers who may send nudge images to get others to send their own back, Instagram said in a blog post.
It comes after Instagram’s parent company Meta has faced pressure along with other social media platforms to put more controls in place to protect teens online from potential harms, including sextortion scams in which someone threatens to expose sensitive images unless the victim meets certain demands.
The update will automatically blur nude photos under a warning screen that says a “photo may contain nudity” before a user chooses to view it or not. The app will also send users a message that tells them “don’t feel pressured to respond” and an option to block the sender and report the chat.
When the nudity protection feature is turned on, users who send images containing nudity will also see a message that reminds them to “take care when sharing sensitive photos,” and they will be allowed to “unsend these photos” if they have changed their mind.
A similar notification will pop up for anyone who tries to forward a nude image they’ve received, urging them to reconsider before they share.
House leadership is eyeing a Plan B to reauthorize the country’s spying authority after a band of 19 GOP lawmakers blocked the legislation from advancing Wednesday. The plan under discussion would shorten the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) from five years down to two years and bring the controversial package back before the Rules Committee, a member and a source familiar …
The wife of Julian Assange said President Biden’s recent comments that his administration is considering dropping charges against her husband are a “good sign.” Stella Assange was encouraged by Biden’s recent remarks regarding her husband’s case, she said. Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, is currently being held in London’s high-security Belmarsh Prison. “It looks like things could be moving …
Elon Musk said Thursday that the House has launched an inquiry into his company’s work in Brazil after the tech mogul claimed he refused to comply with illegal demands from Brazilian leaders that he ban members of parliament and journalists from his social media platform X. Musk announced Wednesday that X has “received an inquiry from the U.S. House of Representatives regarding actions taken in Brazil that were in violation …
News we’ve flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics:
Senate Commerce Chair tweaking TikTok bill
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) is making tweaks to a bill that would force the sale of TikTokor ban the app in the U.S. in an attempt to get around legal challenges other efforts have faced, Politico reported.
Taylor Swift music returns to TikTok
Songs that pop artists Taylor Swift owns from rerecording her music have returned to TikTok amid disputes between the platform and artists signed to Universal Music Group, Tech Crunch reported.
On Our Radar
Upcoming news themes and events we’re watching:
Harvard University’s Institute for Rebooting Social Media is hosting a panel to consider the First Amendment challenges surrounding any order to force a TikTok divestment or ban on Friday at 12 p.m. ET.
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In Other News
Branch out with other reads on The Hill:
The OJ Simpson saga was a unique American moment. 3 decades on, we’re still wondering what it means
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans applied for jobless benefits last week as the labor market continues to thrive despite the Federal Reserve’s efforts to cool it.
Forty-three Senate Republicans led by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) demanding a trial … Read more
The walls are closing in around Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing immense pressure from the U.S. to avoid a civilian catastrophe … Read more
