Instagram has recently introduced a set of new features for comment moderation to reduce harassment and abuse but the move has sparked a debate on free speech and censorship. The new features let the users hide comments with certain keywords or phrases and comments from people who do not follow the user or follow them recently.

Even though many users and advocacy groups have welcomed the tools as an effective way of fighting bullying on social media, others have claimed that they can be used to silence critics and opposition.

The controversy reached its peak when many of the top influencers and celebrities were accused of using the tools to block out their haters and negative comments. Singer Taylor Swift came under fire recently after it was observed that comments that mentioned her private jet were being removed by the platform.

Swift’s team has refuted any allegations of censorship saying that the words were accidentally flagged by the anti-harassment tools. However, the incident showed how such moderation tools could be misused in a way.

Some of the social media specialists argue that over-enthusiastic comment filtering is likely to result in echo chambers and thus hinder healthy communication. “It is a very thin line between the prevention of abuse and keeping the freedom of speech,” said Dr. Amanda Chen, a professor of digital media studies. “It becomes a problem for platforms not to give people a tool that will enable them to create their own echo chambers and avoid seeing any dissenting opinions. ”

Instagram has come out to support the new features saying that they have enhanced the control of the users to manage their feed. A spokesperson said, “We think people should be able to have tools to help them avoid unwanted contact. However, we are an open platform for expression and will keep on exploring. ”

The debate has gained the attention of the lawmakers and some of them have demanded more regulation of the social media moderation policies. Senator Josh Hawley said that he would propose a new bill which will force the platforms to be more open about how they moderate content. ”People have a right to know whether their posts are being removed or not,” Hawley said.

While the issue persists, it is evident that social media sites face a constant struggle of how to protect the users while at the same time allowing free discussion. It can be expected that in the following months, these tools will be fine-tuned as Instagram continues to operate within the framework of the modern discussion on the Internet.