How To Disable Instagram's Sensitive Content Feature

Another day, another feature on Instagram.

Last week, the social media platform quietly introduced a 'Sensitive Content Control' feature, which, much as it sounds like, automatically limits how much sensitive content shows on your Explore tab.

"You can think of sensitive content as posts that don’t necessarily break our rules, but could potentially be upsetting to some people — such as posts that may be sexually suggestive or violent," Instagram announced in a statement on July 20.

"You can decide to leave things as they are or you can adjust the Sensitive Content Control to see more or less of some types of sensitive content."

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Today we’re giving you more ways to control what you see on Explore. We recognize that everybody has different preferences for what they want to see there, so this control will give you new options to see more or less sensitive content. https://t.co/0ER71MP4Pi
— Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) July 20, 2021

While you do have option to change your settings, some users are disappointed that their settings were automatically changed to the 'limit' option. Others claim the feature is unfairly censoring content, not allowing their posts to be seen by others, or even restricting content related to specific marginalised groups. Here are some examples.

I’m really hating this new feature on Instagram that automatically sets users settings to “hide sensitive content”. This is problematic for artists, LGBQTI accounts & activists. My posts are being hidden because I talk about mental health yet anti-vaxx accounts seem unaffected.
— Pyrawy/ பைரவி (@pyrawy) July 26, 2021

Instagram added all sorts of “sensitive content” filters and selectively released the “show sensitive content” toggle so *some* users. I’m still having PORTRAITS removed for “sexual solicitation”. @instagram clearly hates artists and women (unless they’re rich)
— Avery Hornn (@AveryHornn) July 24, 2021

I’m angry at Instagram for changing our settings without alerting us. Sensitive content aka content that is anti-racist, anti-transphobia will be deemed sensitive and a significant majority of people on Instagram will not see it. This is erasure of marginalised voices.
— Shaneel Lal (They/Them) (@shaneellall) July 23, 2021

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Instagram says this is not a new setting to filter out content, but actually an update that allows people to see more content, particularly sensitive content, from a variety of accounts if they choose.

"Contrary to some posts we’ve seen recently, we would never consider content sensitive simply because it was shared by a Black, Indigenous or LGBTQ2S+ creator, or by any underserved group; we absolutely want these voices in Explore," the company wrote on Twitter on July 24.

First off, this new control only applies to content on Explore. Not Feed, Stories or Reels. We’re seeing some people say that we’re now filtering sensitive content from Explore. This isn’t new.
— Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) July 23, 2021

Our Recommendation Guidelines determine what shows up on Explore, and have been in place for some time: https://t.co/3A7nNBC8XZ. We also published more information about work we do to keep Explore safe in 2019 here: https://t.co/AR7CIgsWeS
— Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) July 23, 2021

The ‘Limit’ option means you’ll see the same level of sensitive content on Explore that you’ve always seen. When ‘Allow’ is selected, we’ll show you more sensitive content. When ‘Limit Even More’ is selected, we’ll show you less. (If you’re under 18, ‘Allow’ is not an option.)
— Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) July 23, 2021

Hope this helps explain things a bit more. We’ll update this thread when the issue with the ‘Allow’ option has been resolved.
— Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) July 23, 2021

According to Instagram's Community Guidelines, the platform doesn't allow nudity, "but photos in the context of breastfeeding, birth giving and after-birth moments, health-related situations (for example, post-mastectomy, breast cancer awareness or gender confirmation surgery) or an act of protest are allowed. Nudity in photos of paintings and sculptures is OK, too."

The platform removes content containing credible threats or hate speech, content that targets private individuals to degrade or shame them, personal information meant to blackmail or harass someone, and repeated unwanted messages.

When it makes recommendations to users through Instagram Explore, Accounts You May Like, and IGTV Discover, it doesn't suggest content that discusses self-harm, suicide, or eating disorders, sexually explicit or suggestive, such as pictures of people in see-through clothing, and content that promotes or depicts cosmetic procedures.

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How To Change The Sensitive Control Setting

If you want to change your settings on the 'Sensitive Content Control' feature, simply head to your settings on the Instagram app, click on 'Selective Control Control' and then choose one of three options: Allow, Limit (Default) or Limit Even More.

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