--- title: "Instagram Working on AI to Block Unsolicited D**k Pics" description: "The company formerly known as Facebook has finally begun working on an algorithm to block unsolicited photos on Instagram. " date: "2022-09-25" modified: "2022-09-25" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/instagram-unsolicited-photo-algorithm" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "algorithms" - "facebook" - "instagram" - "the digest" --- # Instagram Working on AI to Block Unsolicited D\*\*k Pics ![The company formerly known as Facebook has finally begun working on an algorithm to block unsolicited photos on Instagram. ]() *\Image: Futurism\* ## Filtered Years too late, the [company formerly known as Facebook]() has finally begun work on an algorithm to block unsolicited nude photos. In a [statement given to *The Verge*](), Meta Platforms confirmed that it's working on optional user controls which will help filter out unsolicited images and messages. There are many types of those, of course, but one of the most pervasive are almost certainly sent by a [deranged subset of men]() who just can't seem to stop sharing unsolicited images of their genitals. "We’re working closely with experts to ensure these new features preserve people’s privacy," spokesperson Liz Fernandez told *The Verge*, "while giving them control over the messages they receive." ## Hidden Figures The confirmation, the *Verge* notes, came after a researcher [tweeted a screenshot of the "nudity protection"]() option that's currently under development. Per the company's statement, Meta itself will not be able to see offending messages, but will rather employ artificial intelligence to sift through DMs. Don't get too excited, though. As *The Verge* notes, the UK-based Center for Countering Digital Hate [published a report]() earlier this year which found that Instagram failed to act nine times out of ten when people reported misogynist language and other harmful content in DMs with its existing algorithm, which didn't filter out words like "bitch." "Instagram claim that they act on hate speech, including misogyny, homophobia, and racism; nudity or sexual activity; graphic violence; and threats of violence," the nonprofit noted in its report. "But our research finds that Instagram systematically fails to enforce appropriate sanctions and remove those who break its rules." ## Flash Forward So prevalent is the unsolicited dick pic issue that a new term, "cyberflashing," has been coined to describe it — and soon, it may [become a crime in the United Kingdom]() if Parliament passes the "Online Safety Bill" that would criminalize the sending of unsolicited sexual or violent material. There's no such national law in the US, *The Verge* notes, though [Texas, of all places](), made cyberflashing a misdemeanor in 2019. It remains to be seen whether Meta's still-in-development anti-dick-pic algo will work. But at very least, it's a nice idea. **READ MORE:** [Instagram’s finally working on protecting users from unsolicited nude photos]() \[*The Verge*\] **More on Insta:** *[Facebook Exec Defends Verifying Fake CGI People on Instagram]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()