Instagram has announced additional restrictions on teen accounts designed to protect minors from inappropriate content and contact. The new measures, which include limits on messaging, live broadcasting, and content sharing, mirror existing protections and are set to automatically apply to users under 18, with under-16 users requiring parental permission to modify these safeguards.

Instagram announced the expansion of its Teen Account protections to Facebook and Messenger. The new safety features include preventing minors from going live and requiring parental permission to deactivate image blurring in direct messages, building on the previous conversion of 54 million accounts to enhanced teen safety settings.

A recent survey commissioned by Amnesty International UK and reported by The Canary reveals that 61% of Instagram users have encountered misogynistic content, highlighting insufficient content moderation on the platform that allows harmful environments to flourish.

Instagram has come under fire following reports of algorithmic censorship of Democrat-related content along with controversial political engagements by its leadership. Critics argue that these practices undermine democratic discourse and may serve authoritarian interests by suppressing politically relevant information.

Amid a turbulent political transition and a heightened partisan environment, Instagram (a subsidiary of Meta Platforms) has faced severe backlash for automatically hiding search results related to Democrat terms. This digital censorship has raised concerns about the platform’s role in shaping political discourse, echoing broader issues of corporate complicity in authoritarian practices, reinforced by Meta leadership’s political engagements including donations and high-profile appearances at presidential events.

Instagram has hidden search results for the term 'Democrats', leading to accusations of political bias as only results for 'Republican' searches appear prominently. Although Meta describes it as a technical error, experts warn that such algorithmic censorship can curtail democratic discourse and fuel partisan conspiracy theories.

Meta's recent overhaul of content moderation policies across its platforms, including Instagram, has raised concerns among LGBTQ+ communities. The relaxation of fact-checking and moderation guidelines is expected to facilitate the spread of anti-LGBTQ+ misinformation, contributing to a hostile online environment and emboldening hate speech.

Meta has implemented contentious workforce reductions, cancelled key ethical programs such as fact-checking and DEI initiatives, and appointed a politically aligned executive, actions that critics argue undermine labor rights and align the company with authoritarian agendas.

Meta announced the termination of its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and the removal of inclusive features such as nonbinary themes, a move that has sparked concern among employees and critics regarding the rollback of support for marginalized communities on platforms including Instagram.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the replacement of third‐party fact‐checkers with a user‐driven Community Notes system across platforms including Instagram, a move aimed at countering alleged political bias but raising concerns over the spread of misinformation and alignment with right‐wing interests.

In a recent announcement, Instagram outlined its top priorities for 2025, highlighting a sharper focus on political content that aligns with Meta's broader messaging and a pivot towards AI-driven creative tools. Critics argue that these shifts—coupled with adjustments to fact‐checking and moderation policies—risk undermining rigorous political discourse and could inadvertently facilitate the spread of biased or unchecked narratives.

Instagram, LLC announced that starting in the US this week, users will see increased political content from accounts they do not follow as part of a shift towards 'free expression'. The policy includes removing fact checkers, a move that critics argue could facilitate rapid spread of disinformation and potentially fuel extremist political dynamics, especially ahead of the anticipated return of Donald Trump.

Mark Zuckerberg announced sweeping changes including the removal of factcheckers, a dramatic reduction in censorship, and a shift toward amplifying political content on Meta’s platforms, including Instagram. This move, coming as part of an ideological pivot aimed at boosting free speech, raises concerns about enabling extremist political narratives and dovetailing with anti-democratic influences.

Instagram has updated its recommendation algorithms to give users greater control over the visibility of political content across Instagram and Threads. Professional accounts can now check their eligibility and adjust their political content exposure, potentially reducing inadvertent propagation of politically charged material.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, announced the termination of external fact-checking and the loosening of hateful content guidelines on its platforms. This policy shift appears designed to appeal to the incoming Trump administration by prioritizing politically charged content, raising concerns about the amplification of extremist narratives and the erosion of unbiased content moderation.

Instagram, under Meta Platforms, is implicated in recent policy changes where CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the removal of factcheckers and relaxed content moderation to boost political content. This move, aligned with a push for free speech as framed by pro-Trump rhetoric, raises concerns regarding the amplification of extremist narratives and the undermining of democratic accountability.

Instagram, part of Meta, announced a phased reintroduction of political content into user feeds on January 7, 2025. This policy shift, reversing previous moderation practices that reduced political content during a critical U.S. presidential election year, raises concerns from anti-fascist perspectives regarding the potential amplification of polarizing narratives and extremist viewpoints.

On January 7, 2025, Meta announced a sweeping change to its content moderation policies affecting Instagram and Facebook. The company is closing its fact‐checking program—cutting off funding to independent groups—and easing restrictions on politically divisive content. This move is expected to embolden authoritarian regimes, undermine independent media, and compromise public accountability worldwide.

Instagram, as part of Meta Platforms, is reversing its earlier policy of suppressing political content by phasing it back in. This change comes in response to vocal user and creator backlash over restrictions imposed during a critical election year, and it aims to foster a more open political discourse.

Instagram has revised its recommendation systems on both Instagram and Threads, introducing new controls that allow professional accounts to check their eligibility for receiving recommended political content. This update is designed to give users more choice regarding exposure to political messages and to reduce the potential for algorithmic amplification of politically sensitive content.

Instagram announced an update to its content recommendation algorithms on both Instagram and Threads, stating that political content will no longer be proactively recommended. Instead, users will have the option to control their exposure to political posts. This approach is designed to reduce the inadvertent amplification of politically charged or extremist content while ensuring that users continue to see content from accounts they choose to follow.

A Cybernews analysis revealed that Instagram shares 79% of a user's personal data with third parties, raising serious concerns about privacy breaches and potential misuse of user information.

An analysis by Issue One revealed that Meta, the parent company of Instagram, spent a record $24.4 million on lobbying in 2024. This aggressive political engagement aims to influence legislative debates on child online safety and data privacy, reflecting a broader strategy among Big Tech to shape policy in their favor.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, engaged in extensive lobbying efforts and political donations, including over $162,350 in PAC contributions to Republican candidates and leadership funds during 2023 and 2024. These actions helped defeat the Kids Online Safety Act and restore favorable ties with House GOP members, thereby reinforcing a political environment aligned with authoritarian and far‑right agendas.

U.S. Rep. August Pfluger has raised concerns over Meta's decision—which affects Instagram among other platforms—to opt users out of political content, a move seen as limiting access to vital political discourse especially during emergencies.

Meta’s recent layoffs, which affected Instagram employees among others, have raised serious concerns over labor practices and the treatment of workers. Critics argue that the restructuring prioritizes efficiency and profit at the expense of robust worker protections, reflecting a disturbing trend in corporate behavior that undermines labor rights and contributes to social inequality.

Instagram’s return to the Turkish market -- a country known for its stringent state censorship -- has raised concerns over the company’s potential complicity with authoritarian practices. Critics argue that by re-engaging with markets that enforce government-mandated content restrictions, Instagram may be indirectly enabling the suppression of free expression.

A US judge ruled that Meta’s separation agreements, which affected Instagram employees during mass layoffs in 2022-2023, violated employee rights by enforcing overly broad non-disparagement and confidentiality clauses. This ruling underscores unethical labor practices that undermine workers’ rights and collective action.

A federal judge ruled that Meta Platforms' severance agreements, which extended to its subsidiaries including Instagram, violated federal labor law by imposing overly broad non-disparagement and confidentiality clauses. This decision highlights serious concerns over labor relations and ethical business practices, suggesting an environment that could indirectly bolster authoritarian practices by suppressing workers' rights.

The analysis reveals that Meta, the parent company of Instagram, spent a record $13.6 million on lobbying in the first half of 2024. This aggressive investment in political lobbying to block regulatory measures such as the Kids Online Safety Act raises serious concerns about corporate influence in politics and potential complicity in bolstering authoritarian practices.

Instagram has implemented a policy change that removes political content from recommendation surfaces such as Explore, Reels, and In-Feed Recommendations. This decision, aimed at distinguishing between political and non-political content, has raised concerns among creators and advocacy groups that fear marginalized voices and crucial social topics—ranging from racial justice to reproductive rights—may be inadvertently suppressed.

Instagram, under the umbrella of Meta Platforms, introduced a change in its recommendation algorithm to limit political content from accounts not already followed. While this move is promoted as a measure to reduce misinformation and polarization, questions remain about the lack of transparency in defining 'political content' and the potential for hidden censorship that could inadvertently marginalize dissenting voices. From an anti-fascist perspective, this action may appear positive for reducing extremist propaganda, but it also raises concerns about corporate control over public discourse.

On March 26, 2024, Instagram, under its parent Meta, rolled out an algorithmic change to limit political content in users’ feeds. While users can opt in to receive political recommendations, critics argue that the opaque and broadly defined policy restricts political discourse, potentially reducing transparency and undermining democratic debate.

Instagram, under Meta, has implemented changes to limit political content recommendations by default. The platform now deamplifies posts that mention governments, elections, or broad social topics unless users specifically opt in, a move that has sparked criticism for restricting exposure to political discourse.

Instagram announced changes to its algorithm to stop proactively recommending political content, requiring users to opt in if they want such posts. This move, aimed at controlling the spread of unsolicited political narratives on the platform, raises concerns about corporate censorship and its broader impact on political discourse.

Instagram has updated its algorithm to default to limiting political content from non-followed accounts. The policy, rolled out recently in the lead-up to the 2024 election, has sparked user outcry over perceived censorship, as the platform restricts exposure to political discourse without users’ consent.

Instagram implemented an automatic setting that limits political content by default, a move that critics argue suppresses diverse political discourse and mirrors authoritarian censorship practices.

Instagram updated its algorithm to require users to opt in to political content, a move that critics argue may restrict exposure to diverse political views and contribute to opaque corporate control of information, echoing authoritarian censorship practices.

Meta attorneys requested a Delaware judge to dismiss a shareholder lawsuit that argued directors should consider societal impacts beyond shareholder profits. The dismissal reinforces a focus on profit maximization, potentially ignoring broader social harms such as election misinformation, mental health issues, and other risks associated with the platform.

Instagram rolled out new fact-check control settings that allow users to adjust the visibility of fact-checked content in their feeds. Critics, particularly pro-Palestinian voices, allege that the default 'reduce' setting suppresses their posts, raising concerns about potential censorship and the spread of authoritarian bias in media content.

Instagram, as part of Meta Platforms Inc., will require that political ads using AI-generated imagery include clear labels to inform users. The new policy aims to increase transparency and combat misinformation ahead of the 2024 elections, thereby strengthening democratic engagement and reducing the risk of deceptive political content.

An investigative review reveals that Instagram, under Meta’s leadership, has failed to consistently label state-controlled media outlets, thereby enabling the spread of propaganda from authoritarian regimes, potentially influencing electoral outcomes.