Can Instagram Block You?

Can Instagram Block You?

Instagram can be one of the most popular and widely used social media apps with more than 300 million people using it on a daily basis. People have curated their own little online spaces where they share their interests, their hobbies and even have attracted the interest of many businesses worldwide. With the good comes the bad and that is fake accounts, abusive comments and illicit pictures that the app doesn’t tolerate. For that reason, an Instagram user can report this activity with Instagram blocking the user.

In this OneHowTo article we answer the question: can Instagram block you?

Community guidelines for Instagram users

Instagram users are expected to follow a series of community guidelines that include acceptable practices and behavior in order to be able to use the social media app. When you sign up to Instagram you will be asked to click on the “Terms of Use” checkbox, meaning that you agree to comply with the rules and guidelines stipulated by the company.

Among the activity, comments and behavior deemed unacceptable by Instagram one can find:

  • Publishing unauthorized material that would result in copying or stealing intellectual property rights.
  • Publishing explicit nudity beyond creative or artistic purposes. Images showing mastectomy scars and children breastfed are recent incorporations to accepted material.
  • Engaging in comments that promote terrorism, hate or organized crime. Using the app to offer sexual or drug related services is prohibited.
  • Using the comments section in an abusive manner by sharing racist or violent messages.

Users experiencing any of these prohibitions can report them to the company for the subsequent blocking of the account or the deletion of the comment. So, the answer is: Yes, Instagram can block you.

Image: moblivious.com

Blocking people on Instagram

The most common method to report any undesired image or comment is by clicking on the three-dotted button on the top right hand side of the image and then clicking on “report”. Similarly, by swiping left on the specific comment you choose the option of “spam or scam" and “abusive content”.

There is also the option to block the full account. In that case, the same three-dotted button must be clicked from the profile of the user. The company’s employees will analyze the reported action and a decision will be exercised.

Unblocking an Instagram account

People that have had their account disabled will see a message as soon as they try to sign in explaining the recent settlement on their account. You are able to refute the decision by following the guidelines at the end of the message and the company will evaluate whether the account is later reactivated.

Differently, if a specific user has blocked your account, you would still be able to sign in and post images but you will not be able to see the content of the person that blocked you. Unlike a private account where no one can have access to the published material without being authorized by the account owner, if a user has blocked you, other people are still able to see the images and comments that you are no longer able to see.

Image: tacproject.weebly.com

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