Protect yourself and your data when using Instagram

ပြုပြင်မွမ်းမံပြင်ဆင်ထားပြီးဖြစ်သည် 21 January 2025

Read this guide to learn how to secure your Instagram account.

Also see our guides on Facebook and WhatsApp to increase your privacy and security when using other platforms belonging to Meta.

Consider if relying on commercial, corporate products is secure enough to protect your information. Commercial corporations might not share your values and remove or filter content that they believe violates their policies. It may also be difficult for them to understand your local context, particularly if they do not operate in your language.

Know how to move your data out of Instagram

• Test how to download your data from your Instagram Account. Start the download process, then take a thorough look at what data it provides. Assess what has been downloaded, in what format and how you can read and use it.
  • Learn how to download your Instagram data.
  • Allow some time for this process. If you have had an account for a long time, there will be a lot of data to download, and the service may take a day or so to bundle it for your download.

Inform yourself about Instagram's policies

Learn how Instagram uses your information

• You can find a clarification of Instagram's terms of service on Terms of Service; Didn't Read.
• Learn about Instagram's privacy policy.
• Also review other Instagram's policies, in particular their terms of use and community standards.

Learn what Instagram will turn over to governments or law enforcement

• See Meta's policy on law enforcement requests.
• See Meta's transparency report on government requests for user data to learn about the nature and extent of these requests and the policies and processes Meta has in place to handle them.
• See Meta's transparency report on content restrictions based on local law to learn what kind of requests they received and how they responded.
• Also see Meta's transparency reports page.

Create a new account

You can create an Instagram account for free.

Decide whether you will use a real or fake name, and maintain separate accounts

• Be aware that even if you provide a fake name to Instagram, you may still be identifiable by the network you connect from and the IP address it assigns to your device unless you use a VPN or Tor to hide this information.
• Consider using separate accounts or separate identities/pseudonyms for different campaigns and activities. You will likely want to keep your personal and work accounts separate, at the very least.
  • Read more on this strategy in our guide on multiple identity management.
• Remember that the key to using a social networking platform safely is being able to trust the people you connect with. You and the others in your network will want to know that the people behind the accounts are who they say they are, and have ways to validate this. That does not necessarily mean you have to use your real name, but it may be important to use consistent fake names.

Set up with a fresh email address

• Set up a new email address on a privacy-friendly server while using the Tor Browser or a trusted VPN.
• You can find a list of suggested privacy-friendly mail services in the communication tools section.

Don’t associate your phone number with your account

• If possible, when setting up a new account, do not enter your phone number. Instagram will allow you to set up a new account with only an email address, and that can be harder to associate with you.
  • Remove your phone number from the Meta Accounts Center (make sure your email address is valid so Instagram can use it to contact you, for example if you lose access to your account).

Skip “find friends”

• "Skip" or dismiss Instagram's requests to "allow access" to contacts on your device, import your contacts, connect with your other social media accounts, or find more connections when you first set up an account. You can select your contacts more carefully afterwards.
  • Turn off contact syncing and delete your synced contacts.
  • Stop Instagram from recommending you profiles you may want to follow, and from recommending others to follow your profile.
• Consider only connecting to people you know and whom you trust not to misuse the information you post.
• If you need to connect to an online community of like-minded individuals whom you have never met, consider carefully what information you will share with these people.
• Do not share your employer or educational background, as social media may use this information to share your profile with others unexpectedly.

Designate someone to manage your account if you are unable to do it yourself

• Note that for legal reasons, Instagram will not give a loved one or colleague access to your account. Rather, if you give them permission, they will make it possible to close and "memorialize" your account.
• Verified immediate family members can request the removal of a deceased user's account. Read Instagram's instructions on how to prove you're entitled to request such removal.
• If you expect someone else may need to access your account quickly in the event of an emergency, arrange to share your login information with them using secure communication.
• If someone you know has been arrested or detained and you need to suspend their account so as to stop others from accessing their network of contacts or compromising information, you can reach out to Access Now Digital Security Helpline or Front Line Defenders to request assistance in working with Instagram to secure access to their accounts. Also read the Digital First Aid Kit troubleshooter Someone I Know Has Been Arrested for further recommendations and see the Digital First Aid Kit support page to look for help desks that may support you for specific needs.

Protect your account

Check your recovery email and phone number

• Check your recovery email and phone number.
• Change this information immediately if you lose access to your email address or phone number.
• Read more on how to keep your Instagram account secure.

Use strong passwords

Use strong passwords to protect your accounts. Anyone who gets into your Instagram account will gain access to a lot of information about you and anyone you are connected to.

• See our guide on how to create and maintain strong passwords for more information.

Set up two-factor authentication (2FA)

• Use a security key, authenticator app or security codes for two-factor authentication.
• Do not use SMS or a phone call if possible, as your mobile phone company has full access to these communications and these methods are easier to hack into. Note that we don't recommend associating your usual phone number with your account, especially if your official name is not already associated with your account.
• Learn how two-factor authentication works on Instagram.

Download and save backup codes to get back into your account

• Get recovery codes to sign into Instagram if you can't use your usual two-factor authentication method.
  • Store these codes in your password manager.
    • Alternatively, print these codes out before you are in a situation where you might need them. Keep them somewhere secure and hidden, like a locked safe.

Consider enrolling in Advanced Protection

• If Instagram identifies your account as vulnerable, you may be invited to enroll in the Advanced Protection program. Learn how Advanced Protection works and consider enrolling.

Be very careful with emails or messages claiming to be from Instagram or Meta

• Learn how to recognize phishing emails and messages.
• Check your account settings to make sure that an email you've received has actually been sent by Instagram.

Use Instagram more securely

• Instagram will require you to use its app for many activities, for example to publish stories. But if you mostly use Instagram to browse other users' profiles or to publish posts and chat with people, you can consider using a browser instead of installing the app in your mobile device.
  • If you really need to use the Instagram app, consider using a separate device from the one you normally use.
  • In alternative, if you have and Android device, you can isolate the app in a separate profile.
• If you want to use Instagram without connecting it to your real identity, make sure to create your account through a VPN or through the Tor Browser and to never connect with your actual IP. Also make sure to create your account with an email address that you created using Tor or a VPN.

Check suspicious access

Check active sessions and authorized devices, review account activity and security events

• Look at the following instructions listing which devices have recently logged into your account (including browsers or apps). Does every login look familiar?
  • Check where you're logged in from in your Activity log.
  • Learn how to log out of Instagram on other devices you're currently logged in.
  • Note that if you are using a VPN or Tor Browser, which can conceal your location, your own device may appear as connecting from unexpected locations.
  • Perform regular security checkups.
• If you see suspicious activity on your account, immediately change your password to a new, long, random passphrase you do not use for any other accounts. Save this in your password manager.

Get notified about logins

• Get an alert when someone tries logging in from a device or location that's unusual for you.
  • Learn how to set the alert.
  • Get the notification sent to the email address associated with your Instagram account, and make sure you choose an email that you check regularly.
  • When you receive such a notification, review the sign-in details, including device type, time and location. If this activity doesn't look familiar, click Sign out.

If you think your account has been hacked

• Take the actions suggested by Instagram.
• If you can't solve this issue through the standard procedure, check out the Digital First Aid Kit troubleshooter I lost access to my account.

Decide what information to share

• Consider making your account private.
  • Learn how to make your account private.
• Learn what tools are available to protect your privacy on Instagram.

Consider what information you should avoid sharing

Information that should never be shared with others on social media, even via direct messages (DM), may be, for example:

• Passwords
• Personally identifying information, including:
  • your birthday,
  • your phone number (does it appear in screenshots of communications?),
  • government or other ID numbers,
  • medical records,
  • education and employment history (these can be used by untrustworthy people who want to gain your confidence.)
• Information that may lead to understand where you live, for example a picture of your house.

Information that you might not want to post on social media, depending on your assessment of the threats you are facing, is, for example, details about family members, information on your sexual orientation or activities and your email address (at least consider having more and less sensitive email accounts).

• Even if you trust the people in your networks, remember it is easy for someone to copy your information and spread it more widely than you want it to be.
• Agree with your network on what you do and do not want shared, for safety reasons.
• Think about what you may be revealing about your friends that they may not want other people to know; be sensitive about this, and ask them to be sensitive regarding what they reveal on you.

Check if what you publish on Instagram is automatically cross-posted

• Be careful when connecting your social network accounts for automatic cross-posting. You may be anonymous on one site, but exposed when using another.
• Consider turning off automatic sharing to Facebook.
• Unlink your Instagram account from other social networks.

Don’t share your location

• Learn how location works across Facebook and Instagram.
• Turn location off on your iPhone or iPad.
• To learn how to turn off location on an Android device, find the section "Stop an app from using your device's location" in the Android help page on how to manage location permissions for apps.

Share photos and videos more safely

• Consider what is visible in photos you post. Never post images that include:
  • your vehicle license plates,
  • IDs, credit cards or financial information,
  • photographs of keys (it is possible to duplicate a key from a photo.)
• Think hard before you post pictures that include or make it possible to identify:
  • your friends, colleagues and loved ones (ask permission before posting),
  • your home, your office or other locations where you often spend time,
  • if you are hiding your location, other identifiable locations in the background (buildings, trees, natural landscape features, etc.).
• If you're only posting private pictures, considering making your account private.
• Remove metadata before you post photos, videos and other files.

Change who can see when you "like" things

• Your likes are always visible, even if your account is set to private.

Don't share your birthday

• On Instagram, you can register with a birthday that is not your own, and you can change your birthday also later. However, do keep track of what you enter, in case you need it to regain access to your account.
• Instagram does not share your birthday with others. It requests your birthday for age verification reasons.
  • Learn how to change your birthday on Instagram.

Decide who can see what

Share to select people

• Remove an unwanted follower (they will not be notified). Also consider blocking them.
• Consider making your account private.
• Remove Instagram public photos and videos from search engine results like Google.
• Be aware that if you share one of your private posts to another social networking platform, anyone with that link will be able to see what you shared.

Manage who can reply to what you post

• Turn off comments.
• Remove comments on your posts.
• Delete multiple comments at once (only available on the Instagram app).

Think about who you connect with

• Unfollow people.
• Deny requests to follow you.

Control mentions and tags

• Control mentions and tags.

Limit who can contact you

• Choose who can send you direct messages and add you to group conversations.
• Block an account.

Manage advertising

• De-select all ad topics.
• Tell Instagram not to use data from partners to show you ads.
• Also check the section on managing advertising in the guide on Facebook (as Instagram and Facebook both belong to the same company).

Leave no trace

Precautions when using a public or shared device

• Avoid logging into your Instagram account from shared devices (like an internet cafe or other people's devices).
• Never save your passwords and delete your browsing history when you use a web browser on a public machine. Change the passwords of any accounts you accessed from shared devices as soon as you can, using your own device.

Clear your search history

• Clear your search history.

Handle abuse

This section explains how to ask Instagram for assistance in situations of abuse, harassment, attacks and impersonation. If you are a human rights defender, journalist or activist at risk and Instagram is not assisting you effectively, you can reach out to Access Now Digital Security Helpline or Front Line Defenders to request assistance in working with Instagram. Also see the Digital First Aid Kit support page to look for help desks that may support you for specific needs.

Report abuse

• Report abuse and spam.
• Report harassment.
• Learn more on how to combat bullying and harassment on Instagram.

Report harassment that reveals information about you

• Read Instagram recommendations on how to handle threats to share private images or personal info.

Identify and report coordinated inauthentic activity (botnets and spam)

• The best way to report abusive content or spam on Instagram is by using the Report link near the content itself. .
• You can also remove potential spam accounts from your list of Instagram followers.

Report impersonation

• Learn how to report impersonation on Instagram.

Hide stressful content

• Hide a post marking it as "not interested".
• Turn comments off for Instagram posts.
• Limit sensitive content that you see on Instagram.
• Learn more about the sensitive content control on Instagram.
• Temporarily limit people from interacting with you on Instagram.
• Restrict someone on Instagram so you don't see their comments unless you want to. They also won't be able to see when you’re online or if you’ve read their messages.

Learn how to recover your account if it is disabled

• Learn why an account may have been disabled and what you can do to recover it.

Take a break from your account

• Temporarily deactivate your account.