Secret Instagram Hashtags Used To Share Hidden X-Rated Content; Here’s How You Can Report it

Instagram is probably the most loved social media platform. If you know how to use this platform wisely, you can even earn a lot from Instagram. However, an investigation by the Sun revealed that a lot of pornographic content is being shared on Instagram under irrelevant hashtags. For a social media platform that is being used even by kids as young as 13, it is dangerous to have such pornographic content lurking around with easy access.

However, the most challenging aspect of the whole situation is that the hashtags being used to share such content are untraceable. Such malicious content providers do not use apparent hashtags such as #pornography which is even otherwise banned by Instagram. The way the users are sharing the explicit content on Instagram has become difficult to identify. There are secret hashtags with different codes that are being used to share such graphic material.

The widely used way of searching something on Instagram is via hashtags, for example, if you want to explore pictures or videos that are related to makeup or beauty you can type and search the terms #beauty or #makeup on Instagram. However, in terms of such pornographic content, the users are using hashtags with special text and characters.

However, Instagram has zero tolerance policy regarding people who share such nude/pornographic/sexual content on the Facebook-owned social media platform. Art with nudity and breastfeeding pictures do not come under the scanner though.

How Can You Help Reduce Explicit Content on Instagram?

We can all contribute to reducing the number of such content on Instagram. Instagram's community guidelines say, 'For a variety of reasons, we don’t allow nudity on Instagram. This includes photos, videos, and some digitally-created content that show sexual intercourse, genitals, and close-ups of fully-nude buttocks. It also includes some photos of female nipples." The guideline continues to say that, "Photos of post-mastectomy scarring and women actively breastfeeding are allowed. Nudity in photos of paintings and sculptures is OK, too."

In regards to the safety of your children, the guideline mentions, 'People like to share photos or videos of their children. For safety reasons, there are times when we may remove images that show nude or partially-nude children. Even when this content is shared with good intentions, it could be used by others in unanticipated ways.'

Therefore you must abide by these guidelines yourself and if you see any content violating the community guidelines or are in general too explicit to be on Instagram, you can directly report the image by clicking on the '...' icon on the post and click on 'report inappropriate', then click on the reasons given and follow the rest of the instructions.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 27, 2018 12:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).