Instagram: Visual Social Media Cultures

Instagram hits 3 billion monthly users Meta is now looking to drive growth further by testing changes for DMs and Reels.

Instagram hits 3 billion monthly users www.theverge.com/news/784784/...

Or to put it a different way: there are as many people using Instagram each month as the were people on the planet Earth in 1960.

Two years later, Meta is making DMs on Threads official Meta is rolling out direct messaging abilities to all Threads users after a brief test earlier this month.

Two years later, Meta is making DMs on Threads official www.engadget.com/social-media...

Instagram isn’t just for square photos anymore Post your 3:4 photos.

Hasn't been for a long time ...

Instagram isn’t just for square photos anymore www.theverge.com/news/676549/...

Instagram Teen Accounts still exposed to sexual content, investigation finds The app's tighter controls are apparently not blocking explicit posts.

Instagram Teen Accounts still exposed to sexual content, investigation finds mashable.com/article/inst...

Zuckerberg had ‘real human’ emotions about Instagram’s growth.The Meta CEO’s reaction to Instagram’s growth, as Facebook’s growth plateaued, stirred complex feelings in him, Systrom says. “My experience of him is that he was always very happy to have Instagram in the family,” he testifies. “But also, I think as the founder of Facebook, he felt a lot of emotion around which one was better, meaning Instagram or Facebook, and I think there were real human emotional things going on there.”

The only time anyone accuses Mark Zuckerberg of having real human emotions is Systrom explaining why Zuck acted like a petulant child after buying Instagram and then starving it of resources for a period of time since it was growing faster than his own Facebook app!

www.theverge.com/news/646809/...

Instagram will use AI to identify teens using adult accounts When it comes to Instagram, many teens aren't truthful about their age.

Instagram will use AI to identify teens using adult accounts mashable.com/article/inst...

Instagram launches its CapCut clone, Edits Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Instagram launches its CapCut clone, Edits www.theverge.com/news/653136/...

Meta goes to trial to avoid a breakup of Instagram and WhatsApp Zuckerberg and Sandberg are expected to testify.

In the Trump era, could Meta really be forced to sell Instagram? We'll see...

"Meanwhile, in recent weeks, Zuckerberg has personally lobbied Trump to drop the FTC lawsuit. The agency’s chair, Andrew Ferguson, recently suggested that he would obey such an order from Trump."

www.theverge.com/pol...

ChatGPT beats Instagram, TikTok to become the world’s most downloaded app www.moneycontrol.com/technology/c...

Collage of 2012 Instagram posts reacting negatively to Instagram's sale to Facebook.

13 years ago #Instagram users were very angry that Facebook purchased Instagram, worrying it would destroy what was unique about the app and the visual culture it was building.

It turns out those concerns were very justified.

Instagram reportedly coming to iPad after long delay www.techinasia.com/news/instagr...

We’re Introducing New Built-In Restrictions for Instagram Teen Accounts, and Expanding to Facebook and Messenger | Meta We're announcing additional protections and expanding Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger to give parents more peace of mind across Meta apps.

Expanding Teen Accounts to FB and Messenger is a welcome move, but there's still much to do.

And an uptake of 54million teen accounts when there's more than a billion Instagram accounts shows the uptake of teen accounts isn't huge as of yet!

about.fb.com/news/2025/04...

Instagram is beefing up its search to compete with TikTok | TechCrunch Instagram head Adam Mosseri says the company is looking to improve the app's search functionality, admitting this is an area where Instagram could do more

Instagram is beefing up its search to compete with TikTok techcrunch.com/2025/04/08/i...

One feature no one really liked or used retired after less than a year ...

No more ‘notes’ on Instagram posts. www.theverge.com/news/636727/...

Instagram’s School Partnership Program – Prioritized Reporting to Help Students - Cyberbullying Research Center Schools can now have Instagram prioritize reports they make of student-involved incidents on the platform to receive a faster response and resolution. Here's how.

In the US, Instagram is rolling out specific support for middle & high schools in reporting & addressing (via resources) bullying & other issues that might be amplified by social media.

Instagram’s School Partnership Program – Prioritized Reporting to Help Students cyberbullying.org/instagram-sc...

Instagram Reels flooded with violent videos before Meta says it fixed error Users complained of ‘not safe for work’ videos in feeds despite some having enabled setting to filter such content

Things that feel inevitable when you reduce moderation on your platform ...

Instagram Reels flooded with violent videos before Meta says it fixed error www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Instagram’s Reels may get its own app Planning ahead for TikTok’s potential demise in the US.

Coming full circle ...

Instagram’s Reels may get its own app www.theverge.com/news/620547/...

Instagram starts testing new button that might downrank comments The button is a downward-facing arrow.

A private signal that some comments/commenters should be less visible for that user makes sense (it's NOT a public dislike button).

Instagram starts testing new button that might downrank comments www.theverge.com/news/613143/...

Instagram notification about ai

It's worse that users have no way to opt out of their DMs being fed to MetaAI by others they're talking to.

Help centre text from Instagram showing sending text to meta ai undoes end to end encryption

It's poor form that end-to-end encryption on Instagram DMs (and presumably all Meta apps) is lost if anyone in the conversation mentions/uses Meta AI on relation to that msg (eg summarising it!).

Threads adds dedicated media tab to display photos and videos The update will allow users to view all photos and videos posted by an account in a separate section. This brings Threads in line with competitors such as X and Bluesky, which already offer similar fu...

And Threads continues to turn into ... every other Meta product.

Threads adds dedicated media tab to display photos and videos www.socialsamosa.com/news-2/threa...

Facebook and Instagram users frustrated by account shutdowns | CHOICE Customers whose accounts are suspended without explanation are angry with the social media giant, Meta, for failing to provide an explanation or respond to inquiries.

Blocked: Facebook and Instagram users frustrated by account shutdowns www.choice.com.au/electronics-...

Meta to Pay Trump $25 Million to Settle 2021 Lawsuit Over His Facebook and Instagram Ban Meta agreed to pay $25 million to settle Donald Trump's lawsuit over the company's 2021 suspension of his Facebook and Instagram accounts,

"Meta will pay $25 million ... $22 million of Meta’s payment will go toward a fund for Trump’s presidential library. The remainder will go toward “legal fees and the other plaintiffs who signed onto the case,” per the report."

variety.com/2025/digital...

Meta AI can now use your Facebook and Instagram data to personalize its responses | TechCrunch Meta says it is rolling out improvements to Meta AI, including the ability to tap profile data from Meta's various apps.

"Meta AI can now use your Facebook and Instagram data to personalize its responses" techcrunch.com/2025/01/27/m...

I'm quitting Instagram. You should too. Mark Zuckerberg's horrible changes for Instagram — and Facebook — have become untenable, writes Lennon Torres.

I'm quitting Instagram. You should too.
Mark Zuckerberg's horrible changes for Instagram — and Facebook — have become untenable, writes Lennon Torres. mashable.com/article/quit...

Column | You can finally press ‘reset’ on your Instagram feed. Here’s why you should. Algorithms that just don’t get you are ruining your Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Now you can do something about it.

You can finally press ‘reset’ on your Instagram feed. Here’s why you should. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

Instagram and Facebook Blocked and Hid Abortion Pill Providers’ Posts Some posts related to obtaining abortion pills were recently hidden on Instagram and Facebook and some accounts were suspended, before being later restored.

Instagram and Facebook Blocked and Hid Abortion Pill Providers’ Posts www.nytimes.com/2025/01/23/t...

Threads is offically getting ads It’s happening.

As was always going to happen, the ads are coming to Threads and it will be as messy as every other Meta product ...

Threads is officially getting ads www.theverge.com/2025/1/24/24...

Meta Denies Facebook, Instagram Users Were Forced to Follow Trump but Admits It ‘May Take Some Time for Unfollow Requests to Go Through’ Meta said Facebook and Instagram users were not forced to follow Trump but that unfollowing the new White House accounts 'might take some time.'

Meta Denies Facebook, Instagram Users Were Forced to Follow Trump but Admits It ‘May Take Some Time for Unfollow Requests to Go Through’ variety.com/2025/digital...

Threads now lets you schedule posts A welcome update.

Threads now lets you schedule posts www.theverge.com/2025/1/23/24...