As Manny Ellis case unfolds, here’s how to block sensitive material on social media feeds
The trial of the three Tacoma police officers began this week with opening statements on Tuesday, Oct. 3 in which jurors heard Manuel Ellis’ last words, “I can’t breathe, sir. I can’t breathe,” captured by a doorbell security camera.
The doorbell security camera footage that jurors saw was made public by the Tacoma Action Collective who shared the video to their Facebook page three months after Ellis’ death.
Video footage captured by a bystander of Ellis’ encounter with the Tacoma police officers that ended in his death was also shared online. Footage of the encounter could continue to circulate on social media as the case proceeds.
Images of police brutality are not new in America, but during the past decade, videos and photographs of the deaths of black men and women at the hands of police officers have circulated on social media platforms for millions to see.
For example, after the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner in New York City in 2014 and George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020, video footage of deadly police encounters flooded social media platforms.
Although these videos help hold police accountable and show the world how law enforcement can be weaponized against people of color, for many seeing these videos can be harmful, traumatizing and triggering.
Here is a guide for people who prefer to limit seeing sensitive, traumatizing and triggering content, such as the video of the encounter between Manuel Ellis and the three Tacoma police officers, on their social media feeds.
Blocking / limiting sensitive or triggering content
Limiting content on X (Twitter):
Twitter has a sensitivity filter that will hide posts that the user has said may display sensitive content, or that has been reported as having sensitive content. Users are also able to hide posts that may contain sensitive content from appearing in search results.
Here’s how to filter content that the user has said may display sensitive content or that has been reported as having sensitive content.
Go to Twitter.com on desktop
Select the menu (...) button
Settings and privacy
Privacy and safety
Scroll down to the “Safety” section
Deselect “Display media that may contain sensitive content.”
Here’s how to filter sensitive content from appearing in the search results.
Go to Twitter.com on desktop
Select the menu (...) button
Settings and privacy
Privacy and safety
Scroll down to the “Safety” section
Search filters
Select “Hide sensitive content.”
Filter specific content and triggers on X (Twitter):
Twitter also has settings to filter out specific content and trigger by entering words or phrases that you don’t want to see on X.
Filter through desktop:
Select the menu (...) button
Select settings and support
select settings and privacy
Click on privacy and safety
Click on “Safety” section
Click on Mute and block
Click Muted words
Select the + sign to add any words or phrases that you do not want to see on Twitter
Select a timeline for how long you want this content muted.
Filter through mobile:
Swipe to reveal the menu panel on the left
Select “Settings and privacy”
Privacy and Safety
Mute and block
Muted words
Select “Add” to add any words or phrases that you do not want to see on Twitter
Select a timeline for how long you want this content muted.
Filter sensitive content on Instagram:
Meta introduced a new sensitive content control in June 2021 to give Instagram users the ability to shape the app into an experience they want. The feature allows users to adjust the control to see more or less of some type of sensitive content.
Click on your profile picture in the bottom right to go to your profile.
Tap the three lines the top right, then tap Settings and privacy.
Tap Suggested content, then tap Sensitive content.
Tap the circle next to Less to see less content you may find upsetting. Tap the circle next to More to see more content you may find upsetting. Note: This option may not be available to people under 18.
Tap Confirm.
Filter sensitive content on Facebook:
Facebook’s default setting for sensitive content is already reduced which means that posts that contain sensitive content are already moved lower on in feed, so users are less likely to see these kinds of content. However, there is an option to reduce sensitive content even more if necessary. Reducing sensitive content even more will make it so users will likely not see sensitive posts at all.
- Go to the Facebook app
- Go to menu
- Click on the settings gear on the top right corner
- Click newsfeed
- Click reduce
- Click on sensitive content
Filter sensitive content on TikTok
TikTok users are also able to adjust their content preferences by filtering out video keywords. Here’s how.
Go to TikTok app
Go to profile
Click the three line on the top right corner
Click settings and privacy
Click on content preferences
Click filter video keywords
This story was originally published October 6, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
