Social media gives you the freedom to express yourself, including your opinions and passions, to your heart’s desire.

However, as with all freedoms, this comes with the responsibility of ensuring that your activity on the app doesn’t dampen other people’s experience with it.

That’s why Instagram has a set of guidelines to help you understand what you can and can’t do on the platform. So what are they? Let’s find out.

What Are Instagram's Community Guidelines?

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Instagram’s Community Guidelines are a set of rules that outline how you should behave on the app. This is to protect its community, and ensure that everyone enjoys using the platform.

Instagram has invested a lot into building a diverse community, and it doesn’t want anyone to mess that up by engaging in unsavory behavior on the app.

That's why it has come up with a set of rules for you to adhere to, to ensure that everyone is happy. And violating those Community Guidelines can get you in trouble with Instagram.

What Are the Consequences of Violating Instagram's Community Guidelines?

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Instagram reviews violations of its guidelines on a case-by-case basis. The worst that could happen is the app disabling your account. In other cases, it removes your posts and imposes some restrictions, like shadowbanning your account, especially if multiple users report an Instagram profile.

However, sometimes it doesn’t take any action at all for the purpose of spreading awareness. That's if your post is about a hot topic that the public would be interested in and if it doesn’t carry the risk of harming anyone.

As explained in Instagram’s Community Guidelines:

In some cases, we allow content for public awareness that would otherwise go against our Community Guidelines—if it is newsworthy and in the public interest. We only do this after weighing the public interest value against the risk of harm and we look to international human rights standards to make these judgments.

In other words, Instagram won’t punish you for every post that violates its Community Guidelines—but that depends on whether your post is seen as in the public interest. But that could be tricky, so consider such posts carefully before uploading them.

How to Avoid Getting in Trouble With Instagram

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According to Instagram's Community Guidelines, there are seven things you should do to stay in good standing with the app. Here’s what they are:

1. Share Your Own Content

Instagram wants you to create and share original content, or content that you have the right to share. And the app is pushing original content harder than ever.

In April 2022, Instagram Head Adam Mosseri shared on Twitter that the app would place greater value on original content. And to encourage this, it will rank original content higher on the feed, giving it preference over re-shared content.

That means that if you typically post other people’s content on your page, Instagram might show less of your posts in feeds. Posting copyrighted content increases your chances of getting in trouble with the app.

2. Don't Offend Other Users

Avoid sharing content that might be offensive to other people, like nude images and sexual content. Instagram wants you to keep its platform a comfortable and pleasant space for everyone using it. So if you want to share raunchy content, there are other platforms that allow that.

Having said that, Instagram allows some forms of nudity, depending on the context. For instance, mothers can share content of themselves breastfeeding. And you can share images of yourself protesting while naked. It also allows nudity in artworks.

3. Respect Other Users

Don’t threaten to harm anyone on Instagram. That includes public figures like politicians and celebrities. Even though Instagram encourages free speech, its platform should remain safe for all who use it.

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Avoid harassing, abusing, and bullying others. Refrain from posting content that includes racism, hate speech, and other forms of bigotry. Treat others how you would want to be treated, and create the experience you want to have on the app.

4. Grow Your Account Authentically

Don't cheat the system. Grow your account and facilitate engagement the right way. Don’t buy followers and engagements, or take part in engagement pods, as Instagram deems these acts as disingenuous.

Don’t promise anyone money or gifts for likes and engagement, either. If you want to get noticed on Instagram, post high-quality content, post consistently, and engage with creators in your niche.

5. Don't Break the Law

Avoid taking part in or showing illegal activity on Instagram, as well as other activities banned by the guidelines. This includes sex work, posting content that shows illegal firearms, and engaging in terrorist activity. Don’t engage in any form of illegal trade or share drug-related content, either.

Instagram also doesn't allow users to advertise sexual services, or sell tobacco, firearms, or alcohol between individuals. You also cannot buy or sell pharmaceutical drugs.

Posting content showing illegal activity could get you in trouble with both Instagram and the law.

6. Never Encourage Self Harm

Sometimes people take to social media to post content that shows self-harm. This can be for many reasons, including depression and abuse. In such cases, don’t encourage these acts, as they can have dire consequences for the users who post them.

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Instagram doesn't allow content that encourages and glorifies self-harm or eating disorders. Content that identifies people dealing with self-harm and eating disorders may also be removed from the platform.

7. Avoid Posting Graphic Content

When sharing newsworthy content, be mindful of the images you post. For instance, while it may be okay to share a clip about the Ukraine war, you shouldn’t share it if it contains images of dead bodies or people who are badly injured.

This might be too sensitive for some viewers, especially people who are affected by the war in some way. When you do share sensitive content, Instagram encourages you to warn people in the caption that the post contains graphic images.

That gives them the opportunity to decide if they want to view the post or not.

If posts promote or glorify the results of violence, however, they will be removed, regardless of whether it's a newsworthy event.

Be Mindful of Your Activity on Instagram

The gist of Instagram’s Community Guidelines is that you should be mindful of your activity on the app. Consider others. Be caring, genuine, and honest.

Think about the kind of experience you want to have on the platform—one that is safe, accepting, and overall pleasant—and create the same experience for others.