Instagram will henceforth allow users to pick moderators when they are live. The moderators will be able to report comments, remove viewers from the stream and turn off comments for specific viewers.

During a Live, Instagram users can assign a moderator by tapping the three dots in the comment area. They can then choose a moderator from a list of suggested accounts or search for a specific account on the search bar.

Although Live has been around for more than five years, moderation was limited to the creator. However, since it has become such an integral feature on Instagram, moderation has become necessary. In Kenya, Live sessions mostly comprise influencers marketing products, celebrities clearing the air or addressing some public issues and events.

Read: Instagram Responses on Stories Will No Longer Be Sent to DMs

A single Live session can attract hundreds of thousands of users, and the opportunity for users to co-create during a live can make the number even higher and more difficult to manage. Hate speech can readily fill the comment box if it is not controlled.

The moderation feature is already available on Facebook, where users can add moderators to their streams and remove trolls.

The inclusion of chat moderators should hopefully make the streaming experience for creators a lot more pleasant as Instagram strives to entice more creators to create Lives with the option to monetize streams.

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