Instagram Public Profiles Are Not That Public Anymore

Instagram lurkers’ days are numbered. The social media platform announced they would restrict public posts so no casual observer can have access to the content.

Until now, Instagram was pretty laid-back when it came to accessing its content on a web browser. Even without creating an Instagram account you could see everything a user posted, whether it was story or post.

That’s starting to change. In the last update, Instagram has issued a restriction for web browsing. Now, after viewing a dozen or so posts, you are prompted with a login window. If you’re not an Instagram user, tough luck – you won’t be able to see anything else.

“Now if you’re not logged into Instagram, you can only see a certain amount of posts on public profiles before being asked to log in. This is to help people see photos on Instagram and then understand how to get the best Instagram experience by being part of the community, connecting and interacting with the people and things they love.”, a Facebook spokesperson told Mashable.

In translation, this means that you either create an IG account or mind your own business.

It might seem a little aggressive at first glance –  until you remember Facebook has implemented such restrictions for a while now. If Instagram wants to continue to grow its user database and accomplish its advertising objectives, it needs to impose some rules.

If you’re not aware, Instagram opened new doors for advertisers this June, when it made the Explore feed ready to support ads. The decision seems to be part of Facebook’s strategy to increase ad revenue from the platform until it can be comparable to its own profits.