Instagram Is Banning Filters That Resemble Plastic Surgery

Social media photo filters have always been meant to augment your facial features and make you look like something you're not, but apparently some take it too far. Instagram has announced that it will ban and remove filters that resemble plastic surgery.

The move comes as concerns rise over the negative effects of the filters on mental health and body image.

"We're re-evaluating our policies—we want our filters to be a positive experience for people," a spokesperson for Instagram said. "While we're re-evaluating our policies, 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."

Earlier this year, Instagram added up an update that allowed users to create and upload their own Instagram filters for users to use. The "FixMe" and "Plastica" effects both simulate post-surgery alterations and are among those being removed. Daniel Mooney, creator of the FixMe filter is defending the filter he created.

"FixMe was only ever supposed to be a critique of plastic surgery, showing how unglamorous the process is with the markings and bruising," Mooney told BBC. "My intention was not to show a 'perfect' image, as you can see in the final result. Perfection is over-rated."

Selfie dysmorphia is a "social media influenced dissatisfaction with appearance" and is on the rise according to a study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

Spark AR, which is a Facebook-owned company (much like Instagram itself) behind Instagram Story filters, says they will be removing the filters in the coming weeks.

"We want Spark AR effects to be a positive experience and are re-evaluating our existing policies as they relate to well-being," said the company in a statement.

"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," added Mooney. He has a point. Will this filter removal change anything for social media dysmorphia when the problem is much bigger than that?