If you break Instagram's rules, you'll now be given a warning that your account is in danger of being banned.
The notice will list all the posts and comments that have been removed for violating the terns of service, and inform you that "If you post something that goes against our terms again, your account may be deleted, including your posts, archive, messages and followers."
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If you think Instagram's moderators have got the wrong end of the stick, you can appeal the decision directly through the warning message, rather than having to hunt through support pages looking for the right contact details.
This change should give users more opportunity to change their behavior before their accounts are banned, and make it easier to correct moderation mistakes. However, as The Verge reports, Instagram is also giving its moderators more freedom to delete accounts that break the rules repeatedly.
Bans will no longer simply be based on a certain percentage of a user's posts violating the terms of service; breaking the rules several times within a short space of time will also result in an account being deleted.
A few strikes and you're out
It's not clear exactly how many strikes it will take for an account to be banned, but Instagram is also taking some more straightforward measures to prevent bad behavior and bullying.
Its latest experiment involves hiding follower counts in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Ireland and Brazil. The company said this change is intended to make Instagram less competitive.
“We hope this test will remove the pressure of how many likes a post will receive, so you can focus on sharing the things you love,” said Mia Garlick, director of public policy for Facebook and Instagram in Australia and New Zealand.
