Safer Internet Day: Guides to Safely Enjoy Instagram

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In celebrating the safer internet day on February 5, we help you reopen Instagram features that provide you with safer tips on protecting yourself and other Instagram users alike.

What to do when you come across posts that violate the community guideline?

As a user, you can file a report if you stumble upon posts that you may think should not be in Instagram. Your request will attempt to swiftly oversee and erase – if necessary – a post that is proven to be a violation.

In order to file an anonymous  report, all you need to do is click on to the triple dots icon ‘…’ on the right top side of an IG post and the bottom part of your screen for IG stories, Live and IGTV. To report a Direct Message, you need to press-hold the message you received until an option to report pops up.

Responding to bullying or intimidations

Instagram guidelines clearly do not allow contents of bullying and other forms of abuse. You are handed the option to block an account that you feel threatened by. Blocking makes your profile and comment section inaccessible to them. Other features such as manual filter enable you to control the quality of comments in your IG posts.

Protecting your privacy

You are given the freedom to share any contents on Instagram either via private account or public account. The former enables you to erase any follower you think is inappropriate. You can also non-activate your activity status which can hide the fact that you’re online by accessing the ‘Settings’ menu in the ‘Privacy and Security’ section.

How do you ensure your Instagram account is secure?

Not being able to access your own account can make you feel miserable, either because you’re hacked or you forgot your own password. Always follow the guidelines on making a strong password, creating two-factor authentication process and trustable third-party apps such as DUO Mobile or Google Authenticator.

How do you protect others?

If you come across posts that imply someone intends to commit suicide or any acts of self-harm, you can report that post to Instagram anonymously which will help connect the troubled user to available helplines. 

You can also protect your loved-ones’ time on Instagram by monitoring or limiting the amount of time you or they spend on Instagram through ‘Your Activity’ feature at the top right of your account. This enables you to set a daily reminder and control your notification settings.

MOH KHORY ALFARIZI