Facebook Inc’s Instagram is introducing a new feature that prevents its users from viewing possible abusive messages by filtering out offensive phrases, emojis or words on its application.

It was announced by the company that along with the new feature for filtering out abusive direct messages, it will also make it more difficult for people blocked by users to contact them again through newly created Instagram accounts.

Instagram has recently been active in taking more efforts to tackle hate speech and online abuse on its application, which is reportedly more popular than Facebook among young adults and teens.

The newly introduced feature can be activated in Instagram in privacy settings, and can be customized by users to include their own words, emojis or phrases that they wish to block or avoid to receive in their direct messages.

Instagram said that users can even use their discretion to delete, report or open messages which will be sorted into a hidden requests folder.

This feature will only be made available to direct message requests and not the inbox itself, will roll out in some countries in upcoming weeks, according to Instagram.

In the next few weeks, users will even have the option to entirely block people from contacting them through Instagram, after blocking their account.

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