MENLO PARK: Instagram has quietly updated its policy to limit access to its Live video feature, now allowing only public accounts with at least 1,000 followers to initiate live broadcasts. The change was recently confirmed via Instagram’s Help Centre and first reported by TechCrunch.

Previously, the Live feature was available to all users, regardless of follower count or privacy settings. Instagram’s updated policy reads: “Only Instagram users who have a public account with 1,000 followers or more will be able to initiate a live video.”

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While Meta has not issued an official explanation for the move, the shift appears to align with platform-wide efforts to streamline engagement and content quality. By restricting the feature to larger public accounts, Instagram may be aiming to reduce the strain on its broadcasting infrastructure, limit misuse by bots or spam accounts, and enhance overall viewer experience.

The new follower threshold could also serve as a quality filter, allowing only those with proven audience engagement to access Live functionality. This may favour influencers, creators, and public figures who use the platform to broadcast events, Q&As, or product launches.

However, the update has sparked discontent among everyday users and smaller creators who relied on Instagram Live for casual interactions and community engagement. Critics say the move undercuts the platform’s open-access appeal and imposes unnecessary barriers for newer users trying to build an audience.

The update signifies a broader shift in Instagram’s content strategy—one that leans toward professionalised, higher-quality broadcasts and deeper creator metrics. It remains to be seen how the change will affect the app’s creator ecosystem, especially among grassroots users and micro-influencers.

(This article is published under a mutual content partnership arrangement between The Brew News and The Free Press Journal)