If you’re gonna do it for the ‘gram, do it responsibly.
If you’re gonna do it for the ‘gram, do it responsibly.
Starting Monday, Instagram will show warnings when users search for or click on a hashtag commonly linked to abusive behavior toward animals and/or the environment, according to a post on the app’s blog .
“You are searching for a hashtag that may be associated with posts that encourage harmful behavior to animals or the environment,” a popup screen will read.
Users will be given the option to click “learn more,” which will take them to a page full of information on wildlife exploitation and a warning to tourists against taking photos with exotic animals.
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“We encourage you to be mindful of your interactions with wild animals, and consider whether an animal has been smuggled, poached, or abused for the sake of tourism,” the blog reads.
“Be wary when paying for photo opportunities with exotic animals, as these photos and videos may put endangered animals at risk.”
According to the blog, Instagram partnered with a number of organizations, including the World Wildlife Fund, TRAFFIC, and World Animal Protection, to figure out which hashtags are most often used to depict harmful behavior against animals.
These behaviors include animal tourism and wildlife trade.
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Through these partnerships, the app was able to uncover hundreds of combinations, which will prompt the warning, according to HuffPost .
Combinations range from phrases typically used on photos of tourists with captive animals to ones related to the sale of exotic animals.
The aim of this warning appears to be raising awareness.
A post on the World Animal Protection website states that while most people are aware of the trafficking of endangered animals, many don’t realize that a number of animals they may pose with while on vacation can be harmful.
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“Many of the animals who tourists take photos with are stolen from their natural habitats. They are kept in cramped conditions and passed around from tourist to tourist, causing extreme stress,” the site reads.
“Animals may look happy in selfies. But they’ve often been taken illegally from their natural home and repeatedly baited with food. All this excessive human contact causes extreme trauma.”
Instagram’s most recent warning system is modeled after another set up to warn users searching hashtags commonly associated with self-harm, suicide, eating disorders and other topics.
The system is not perfect, however.
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After seeing the initial warning, users searching controversial hashtags are able to continue with their search.
No warning prompt will come up if a user posts a photo using a flagged hashtag.
