Is it helpful that Instagram flagging photoshopped pictures?
Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/illustrations/instagram-white-male-3d-model-1889117/
February 4, 2020
First Amendment Applies To All.
The First Amendment protects free speech. Free speech applies to all people. Free speech also applies to expression.
People express themselves in many different ways, and Instagram gives people the platform to do so.
Instagram recently removed likes from its app. Instagram’s CEO, Adam Mosseri, said to Wired.com, “We will make decisions that hurt the business if they help people’s well-being and health,”.
Mosseri also said that removing the likes will help create a less pressured environment online. Likes are still on the app, but people can no longer see how many likes another person’s photo or video has.
This has bothered many people and businesses. Influencer’s and businesses often made money off of their photos and videos.
Instagram’s most recent algorithm makes it possible to hide or remove photoshopped photos. Instagram is deeming them as “fake” photos.
According to PetaPixel, Instagram’s algorithm was “Designed to mitigate the spread of fake images.” Unfortunately, fake news is a real element in today’s world.
Businesses just like people have to counteract the endless onslaught of fake news in its different forms such as pictures, videos, and articles.
Flagging or removing photoshopped images is one of the ways Instagram plans to combat fake news. All users of this platform are held accountable to its platform policy, terms of use and community guidelines.
This is Instagram’s way of protecting its self-expression. It does not want to be seen as a platform that promotes or accepts fake news, hate or discrimination.
The First Amendment and free-market allow for this type of move by Instagram.
In 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that social media is the new public square. This means social media posts are protected by the constitution. The free market allows for an unrestricted market.
Instagram is a company, and they are allowed to block or unblock any photo or even an account being used on their platform per their policies.
As users of their platform, we have no say in this issue. We can only hope Instagram’s views and opinions will be aligned with society.
The only thing users of Instagram could do is protest. Not using their platform might drive down their ad revenues. This could force Instagram to ease up their restrictions.
There was not much uproar when the like counter was removed from their platform. Will their new policy be the last straw for you? Only time will tell.
