It's been a rough couple of weeks for Instagram lurkers.
First, Instagram removed its infamous "following" tab, which let you surreptitiously keep track of what posts your friends were liking. Now, the company will no longer let you view more than a handful of photos on public profiles if you're not logged in.
Prior to the update, which was implemented in the last few weeks, anyone could browse public-facing profiles on Instagram via a browser without logging into the service. Now, after you scroll past the first dozen or so posts, Instagram will force a log-in you can't navigate away from.
Here's what it looks like:
Instagram now forces a log in after viewing a handful of photos.Credit: screenshot / instagramIn a statement, a Facebook spokesperson confirmed the change.
"Now if you're not logged into Instagram, you can only see a certain amount of posts on public profiles before being asked to log in. This is to help people see photos on Instagram and then understand how to get the best Instagram experience by being part of the community, connecting and interacting with the people and things they love."
One one hand, it makes sense that Instagram would lock down its platform in this way. Facebook also greatly limits what content people can see without logging in. But it's a first for Instagram, which has historically been more open in what it makes visible to non-users.
As Instagram grows beyond its first billion users, tactics like this could help the service maintain growth. Forcing people to log in is also better for Instagram's advertising business. The service is reportedly trying to double the amount of advertising in the app amid fears from some Facebook executives that Instagram's growing popularity could hurt Facebook, which is still — for now — the company's main money maker.
TopicsFacebookInstagramSocial Media
(责任编辑：百科)
'Rocket League' Championship Series Season 2 offers $250,000 prize pool
India issues notice to Amazon, others for selling imported refurbished phones
A Florida youth football team produced the most delightful highlight you'll see this season
Trump jokes about kicking nonResearchers create temporary tattoos you can use to control your devicesOver 82,000 evacuate as Blue Cut fire rapidly spreads in southern California
A rapidly spreading wildfire in southern California's Cajon Pass has grown in hot, dry weather, thre
...[详细]Apple's Tim Cook says augmented reality, not VR, is the future
Apple's famous veil of secrecy was pierced on Friday during a rare interview with the company's CEO,
...[详细]Hillary Clinton turned her website into a fact checker for the debate
Hillary Clinton pushed back against plenty of Donald Trump's statements during the debate.She also e
...[详细]An iPhone hack can now be cashed in for $1.5 million
Zerodium, a security company that offers a set of bounties for previously unknown software vulnerabi
...[详细]One thing's for sure: you're never too old to learn.。Massachusetts woman Clare Picciuto turned 100 F
...[详细]Kevin Garnett great calls it quits after 21 seasons
Anything is possible, even the end of Kevin Garnett's storied 21-year career.Garnett — the 200
...[详细]The rise of Pepe the Frog is another sign of hate festering online
The ubiquitous green internet amphibian known as Pepe the Frog has been added to the Anti-Defamation
...[详细]Angry customer casually smashes up iPhones in a French Apple Store
An angry French customer walked into an Apple Store in Dijon and, armed with a steel ball used in th
...[详细]Two astronauts just installed a new parking spot on the International Space Station
UPDATE: Aug. 19, 2016, 2:04 p.m. EDT。 Astronauts Kate Rubins and Jeff Williams are back in the Inter
...[详细]Brad Pitt reportedly under investigation for alleged child abuse
Update 12:39 pm ET:A representative for the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services t
...[详细]Researchers create temporary tattoos you can use to control your devices
The cast of 'Will & Grace' is up to a reunion of some kind
