User attributes

Instagram’s Help Center says suggested posts use a viewer’s follows, likes, saves, reposts and comments, along with their history of connecting with the posting account or similar accounts.3 These viewer attributes are distinct from information about the post, such as its popularity, publication time and location, and information about the account, such as how often people have recently interacted with it.3 Mosseri describes preferences such as watching videos rather than liking photos, while Meta’s Transparency Center lists more detailed measures, including time spent viewing an author’s content, profile visits and scrolling past posts.89 Instagram also considers whether someone uses the web, Android or iOS, both for suggested posts and for Search.310 For Search, Meta’s Transparency Center also lists connections between accounts, previous profile visits, the words someone searches for and how people making the same search in their country respond to suggested keywords.10 Activity on a viewer’s Threads profile can inform Instagram’s suggested posts.3

Instagram uses user attributes for advertising: its Help Center says ads may reflect Facebook information and interests, activity on a linked Facebook account, and content posted or interacted with on Instagram and Facebook.2 Other examples include accounts followed and posts liked on Instagram, activity on third-party websites and apps, interactions with AI products depending on the region, and feedback indicating interest or disinterest in ads.2 Instagram’s Help Center describes audience summaries in Insights for public accounts: the Viewers measure counts unique accounts that saw content and can include top countries, cities, age ranges and a gender breakdown.5

Age is a user attribute that determines Instagram’s Teen Account settings, which its Help Center says automatically apply to accounts belonging to people aged 13–17.6 Mosseri describes protections including private accounts by default, restrictions on who can send messages, less inappropriate content and a reminder to leave Instagram after an hour of daily use.7 Teens under 16 need a parent’s or guardian’s permission to make the settings less protective, while those aged 16–17 can change them themselves unless their account is supervised.6 A parent or guardian must supervise the account before approving or denying requests to reduce protections.6