Researchers have in the recent past revealed that augmented reality (AR) filters that promote cosmetic surgery may make people feel bad about their looks.
Instagram has these filters and the platform is ready to ditch them to protect people’s mental health.
Instagram’s August update, delivered several AR filters that promoted cosmetic surgery. Examples of these filters include Plastica and FixMe.
On its side, Facebook-owned Instagram says the move is to promote users’ wellbeing.
“We’re re-evaluating our policies – we want our filters to be a positive experience for people,” a spokesman said. “… we will remove all effects from the [effects] gallery associated with plastic surgery, stop further approval of new effects like this and remove current effects if they’re reported to us.”
Instagram has not provided a deadline when the change will be fully implemented.
Although the move was seemingly supported by many, an Instagram AR creator thinks otherwise. In response to the BBC, Daniel Mooney creator of FixMe AR filter says the filter was supposed to critique plastic surgery, depicting how unglamorous the process is with the markings and bruising.
“I can see where Instagram is coming from, but for as long as some of the most-followed accounts on Instagram are of heavily surgically ‘improved’ people, removing surgery filters won’t really change that much,” he added.
