Imagine you are just scrolling through Instagram, looking at your favourite things, and then suddenly someone DMs you a message. When you opened it, you were treated to a photo of eggplant from some stranger or someone you barely even know, and now that photo has been seared into your brain and ruined the rest of your day. Nobody wants to look at unsolicited photos of eggplants, oysters, or melons. Instagram is fully well aware of that and they are doing something.
According to Engagdet, Alessandro Paluzzi, an app researcher, discovered a feature that Instagram is working on called Nudity Protection, which can cover up nude images or photos in the chat and users can choose whether or not to see them.
After this discovery, Meta later acknowledged to The Verge that they are working on it and as testing approaches, they will provide additional information about the new feature over the coming weeks.
The social media giant said the purpose is to assist in protecting individuals from obscene photos or other unwelcome messages. The company claimed that it is unable to view the photographs for itself or share them with third parties as additional security.
We’re working closely with experts to ensure these new features preserve people’s privacy, while giving them control over the messages they receive.
Meta spokesperson
In Malaysia, it is illegal to send nude photos to someone.
A person who sends nudes can be charged under Section 211 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. It is an offence to send obscene or offensive content with the intention to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass the other person.
Where the victim is a minor, the perpetrator may be charged under Section 293 of the Penal Code which makes it illegal for the sale, let to hire, distribution, exhibition or circulation of obscene objects or documents to any person under the age of twenty years.
