Instagram announced that it will veto all augmented reality filters that represent or promote cosmetic surgery, amid concerns that they will harm the mental health of its users.
Among those prohibited, there will be the effects that make people look as if they had had lip injections, fillers or had a facelift.
Studies suggest that face-changing filters can make people feel worse about their appearance.
Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, said the ban is to promote the well-being of its users.
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“We are re-evaluating our policies, we want our filters to be a positive experience for people,” said a spokesman.
“As we re-evaluate our policies, we will remove all gallery effects associated with plastic surgery, stop approval of new effects like these, and remove current ones if they report them to us.”
New effects
In August, an update to the Instagram app allowed users to create their own virtual effects, such as custom animations and facial filters, that can be overlaid on images and videos.
Many popular filters, such as Plastica, mimicked the effects of extreme cosmetic surgeries.
Another filter, FixMe, showed how a plastic surgeon marked a person’s face before an operation, while HolyBucks placed dollar signs over a selfie and highlighted the user’s lips.
Instagram said it wasn’t sure how long it would take to remove all filters, but many users appreciated this move.
“Most people just see the filters as ‘girls having fun’ and just let them enjoy them, but when you haven’t posted a photo without one of these filters since 2016, there’s clearly something deeper than just ‘fun’,” one user said in Twitter.
Not everyone agrees, though.
“Has Instagram also taken me into account and what I’m supposed to do when I have a day when I look worse than normal? Haggard and old witches also need to look stunning,” one tweeted.
Studies suggest that excessive use of social media can cause feelings of depression, although some dispute these claims.
In February, Instagram said it would remove all graphic self-harm images from the platform, amid concerns that it could affect young and vulnerable people.
This came after the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who committed suicide in 2017 after seeing graphic images of self-harm in the app.
