Instagram has announced a new policy to try and prevent the spread of imagery that is harmful to wildlife. When an individual attempts to view images that have certain hashtags, this will result in a warning entitled “Protect Wildlife on Instagram” which explains that they should be aware that the hashtag may “be associated with posts that encourage harmful behavior to animals or the environment.”

It goes on to link (Learn More) to Instagram’s policy on “Wildlife Exploitation.” This sets out the key principle that “risking damage to the environment—whether it’s walking on wildflowers, moving a nest or carving initials—is never worth a few likes.”

There is an active thread about Instagram offering recommendations for people to follow in the Wetpixel forum.