Instagram's latest policy finally addresses the controversy regarding posts about diets and cosmetic surgeries, and who can see them.
The new policy targets influencers posting diet teas and other products that aim to promote rapid weight loss, including the Kardashians. Under the company's new guidelines, any users under the age of 18 are banned from seeing such posts, as part of larger efforts to help ease the pressure young people feel when it comes to body image.
Weight Loss Product Posts Are Out
Instagram will restrict them from seeing posts that promote the use of certain weight loss products or cosmetic procedures that have an incentive to buy or includes a price. It will also be cleaning up the platform, starting with posts with "miraculous claims" about a certain diet or weight loss product and is linked to a commercial offer, such as a discount code. Under Instagram's new community guidelines, these posts will no longer be allowed. Users will also have the necessary tools to report these posts if they see them clogging up their newsfeed.
The change was first reported by The Evening Standard.
It's worth noting that Instagram's advertising guidelines and policies never allowed for the promotion of these products to begin with, according to a statement from the company, but the recent boom in influencer culture has prompted it to commit to employing more specific guidelines that address this new phenomenon. The new policies extend to Facebook, which owns Instagram.
Instagram Wants To Be A 'Positive Place'
The change aims to make Instagram "a positive place for everyone" and to "reduce the pressure that people can sometimes feel as a result of social media," according to Emma Collins, Instagram's public policy manager.
The Kardashians are notorious for promoting various weight loss products on their social media, a practice which has drawn ire from critics such as actress and body positivity advocate Jameela Jamil. She, through "I Weigh" campaign, worked with Instagram and other experts to bring changes to the platform.
"A focus of our advocacy since inception, it is a proud day for 'I Weigh' and a day of hope for our generation, who deserve respect and protection from the celebrities and influencers that they follow," Jamil said.
Tools that help users report content in violation of these new policies will be rolled out in the coming weeks, according to Instagram.
