Instagram Removes Content And Hashtags Promoting Self-harm

Posted on Apr 22 2012 - 5:58am by Editorial Staff

The famous Facebook $1 billion acquired photo-sharing service Instagram has updated its community guidelines to prohibit “accounts, images, or hashtags”. Instagram says that the guideline is intended to “maintain a positive and healthy community.” Instagram is asking its users to help community-police its content by flagging photographs or users for “Terms of Service violations” if they’re found to be supporting self-harm in images, hashtags, or through the name or subject of their accounts.

“While Instagram is a place where people can share their lives with others through photographs, any account found encouraging or urging users to embrace anorexia, bulimia, or other eating disorders; or to cut, harm themselves, or commit suicide will result in a disabled account without warning,” reads the new addition to Instagram’s community guidelines. “We believe that communication regarding these behaviors in order to create awareness, come together for support and to facilitate recovery is important, but that Instagram is not the place for active promotion or glorification of self-harm.”

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