Instagram to ban plastic surgery filters

Instagram is banning plastic surgery filters because they don't want them to have a negative impact on users.

Instagram is set to ban filters which give the illusion of having plastic surgery.

The Facebook-owned app uses Spark AR's effects and the firm has announced that they have decided to pull such AR (Augmented Reality) filters from their Effect Gallery because they want the fun tool to be a "positive experience" for users and they don't want them to have a negative affect on people's "well-being".

In a lengthy statement posted on their Facebook page, Spark AR said: "We want Spark AR effects to be a positive experience and are re-evaluating our existing policies as they relate to well-being. While this happens, we're doing the following:

• Removing all effects associated with plastic surgery from the Instagram Effect Gallery
• Postponing approval of new effects associated with plastic surgery until further notice
• Continuing to remove policy-violating effects as they are identified

Over the coming weeks, these steps will result in increased review times and a delay in effect approvals. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you or your team. For status updates on any effects that are in review, you can visit Spark AR Hub.

At this time, we're not able to provide exact timing on the new policy rollout, but we'll share updates as soon as we can. We appreciate your patience as we work to maintain a healthy AR ecosystem for creators and our entire community!