Instagram is putting the kibosh on intimate live chats. Going forward, you can only go live if you have at least 1,000 followers on a public account.
This could be disappointing for new creators looking to build a following, as well as non-creators who use the feature to have fun with their friends. Of late, however, the feature has mostly been used by popular celebs who wish to interact with their fans or politicians who broadcast press events to a younger audience.
Meta hasn’t yet clarified the reason for the restriction, but noted the change in a support page. If you try going live without meeting the requirements, Instagram will display an error message that says, “Your account is no longer eligible for Live.”
(Credit: Jibin Joseph/PCMag)
This is the second major restriction Instagram has added to Live in recent times. Back in April, Meta blocked users under 16 from going live over safety concerns. Previously, teens could access the feature with parental approval, but the new requirement for a public account effectively shuts them out as Teen Accounts are private by default.
The move has received mixed responses from social media users. Some are not bothered by the change, while others have called it stupid.
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As Tech Crunch notes, Instagram’s new Live limits now align with TikTok, which also requires 1,000 followers. YouTube, on the other hand, only requires 50.
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