Since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency in January, Instagram has launched several updates to let people approach accurate information, stay safe, and stay connected to society in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instagram updates to keep people informed, safe, and supported in COVID-19 pandemic
Today we’re listing here additional Instagram updates in COVID-19 pandemic:
- Adding more educational resources in Instagram Search
- Adding stickers to promote accurate information
- Removing COVID-19 accounts from recommendations, unless posted by a reputable health organization
- Rolling out the donation sticker in more countries and encouraging people to find relevant nonprofits to support
- Creating a shared story to let those practicing social distancing to connect with others, making use of a “Stay Home” sticker
- Launching a new way to explore Instagram with friends via video chat
Accessing Accurate Information
People who seek information related to the coronavirus or COVID-19 on Instagram will begin to see an educational message leading them to resources from the World Health Organization and local health ministries. Instagram is working quickly to make this available globally over the coming weeks.
Instagram is also releasing new stickers that allow people to share accurate COVID-19 information in Stories. These new features include reminders to wash your hands, distance yourself from others, and more. These will probably be available within the camera in the coming days.
Instagram has added a discovery at the top of the feed for countries affected by COVID-19. The discovery consists of reliable resources from expert health organizations. Moreover, Instagram has been highlighting resources from these organizations when people view related hashtags.
Keeping The Community Safe
Along with promoting credible information throughout the app, Instagram is making several changes to reduce the spread of misinformation.
They’ll remove COVID-19 accounts from account recommendations. And they’re working to remove some COVID-19 related content from Explore unless one is posted by a reputable health organization. Instagram will also begin to downrank content in feed and Stories that have been rated false by using third-party fact-checkers.
That is in addition to their existing policies on misinformation. If posts are rated false by third-party fact-checkers, Instagram removes them from Explore and hashtag pages. They also remove false claims or conspiracy theories that have been flagged by the main global well-being organizations and local health authorities as having the potential to cause harm to people who believe them.
To prevent people from exploiting this public well-being emergency they’ve already put a number of new policies into effect. Instagram prohibited misleading advertisements for products that refer to COVID-19 in ways intended to create urgency, guarantee cures, or prevent people from contracting it. And they’ve temporarily banned advertisements and branded content that advertise certain medical supplies such as face masks. In addition, Instagram removed the ability to search for COVID-19 related AR effects until they were developed in partnership with an acknowledged health organization.
Staying Connected and Supporting Communities
To help people support relief efforts, Instagram is making Donation stickers available in more countries. And they’re adding a new COVID-19 section so people can quickly identify relevant nonprofits.
To help people keep connecting to the community, Instagram has launched media sharing. It’s a new function that lets you view Instagram posts together with your friends over video chat. You can begin a video chat by tapping the video chat icon in the Direct inbox or a current Direct thread. Then you may view saved, liked, and recommended photos/videos by tapping the photo icon in the bottom left corner on the screen of an ongoing video chat.
Lastly, Instagram has launched a “Stay Home” sticker. Every account you follow that uses the sticker might be added to a shared Instagram story, allowing you to see how others are practicing social distancing at this time.
Instagram will continue to prioritize safety, connecting people with accurate information, and encouraging help as the COVID-19 outbreak evolves. They’re closely monitoring the situation and often sharing updates at about.fb.com/coronavirus. For the newest news and information on the way to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, please visit the World Health Organization.