Instagram is always on the alert to keep its platform safe and protect its users from spam and other activities that violate its community guidelines or terms and conditions.
One way of keeping the platform safe is allowing users to report other accounts. It could be someone who is sending you spam posts or inappropriate content. The best way of responding is to report that person and let Instagram deal with them.
What happens after you report someone on Instagram? Instagram takes its time to analyze the report to determine whether the reported case is genuine. You may get a response from Instagram that your reported case is getting worked on; in some cases, Instagram will deal with the reported account without informing you. If the reported person is found guilty, they can get a warning or risk getting their Instagram accounts banned.
Have you reported anyone on Instagram? This guide covers everything you need to know about reporting an account on Instagram. We will discuss reasons or scenarios that make you report someone on Instagram, how to report their account, and conclude with an understanding of what next after you report them.
Reasons for Reporting Someone on Instagram
Instagram is a safe zone for anyone to network, have fun, and connect with friends and audiences. When using the platform, you can come across many activities and people.
Some people will try to DM you to bond, while others will try to spam you. Further, you will encounter inappropriate content that violates the terms of Instagram. Luckily, Instagram offers you an easy way of reporting someone.
Below are the common reasons why you should report someone on Instagram.
Reason #1: A Spam Account
A spam Instagram account uses bots as a way of trying to get new followers. You may notice a spam account if it follows too many accounts at once or posts excessively while commenting on other posts.
Instagram is aware of such accounts, so when reporting someone, you get asked whether it’s spam or inappropriate.
Reason #2: Inappropriate Content
The term inappropriate could refer to many things. Instagram offers various categories under the inappropriate option to ensure you give more details on how and what kind of inappropriateness you wish to report.
The common types of inappropriate content include:
- Violating Intellectual Property Rights – if you are a content creator, you may come across someone who has used your content without your consent. Instagram is very strict on this and can automatically ban an account reported on the grounds of violating intellectual property.
- Impersonation – occurs when some people fake to be others. You can get someone sending you DMs pretending to be a celebrity, yet they aren’t. Or perhaps someone has created a fake Instagram page impersonating a legit one to scam people. You can report such an account.
- Posting Inappropriate Content – involves things like hate speech, bullying, nudity, violence, illegal drugs, or sexual harassment. Such content goes against the community guidelines offered by Instagram.
How To Report Someone on Instagram
Instagram offers various ways of reporting someone on Instagram. It could be you want to report an Instagram account, a DM, a post, or a message. Whichever the case, there is a way to go about it. Besides, you can directly email Instagram at [email protected], and the support team will act on your case.
There are various ways of reporting someone on Instagram.
Method #1: Reporting an Instagram Account or Post
If you come across a spam account or one posting inappropriate content, use the steps below to report it:
- Click on the profile or the post.
- At the top, click the three dots.
- A menu will appear. Click the “Report” option.
- Finally, select the reason for reporting.
Instagram will guide you on what to do next. Just in case you are worried about your identity, any reports are anonymous, and the person you’ve reported won’t know who reported them.
Method #2: Report a Message
Are you getting inappropriate direct messages? Is someone harassing you on your DM? Take action and follow the steps below to report them:
- Go to the chat containing the message you wish to report.
- Long press the message, and on the prompt that appears, click the “Report” option.
- The on-screen instructions will guide you.
Method #3: Reporting a Comment
On Instagram, you can post various things, and the general public is welcome to leave their comments.
What if someone leaves an abusive comment? If that happens, use the steps below to report their comment:
- On your Instagram account, locate the post containing the comment you want to report.
- Click the “View All Comments” option.
- Scroll and get to the comment and swipe left on the comment.
- On the options that appear, click the exclamation (!) icon.
- Select either to report the comment as “Spam/Scam” or “Abusive”.
You will be required to explain why you are reporting the account. Follow the prompts to finalize reporting the comment.
What Happens After Reporting Someone on Instagram?
Instagram receives many cases of reported accounts daily, and following up on each case is complex. Therefore, don’t be surprised when you report someone on Instagram and nothing happens to their account. You can try reporting them again.
On the bright side, some cases of reporting accounts end up successful, and Instagram may message you to affirm they are taking action on your case. The investigation period depends on Instagram. Once they find the reported account violated their terms and conditions or community guidelines, they issue warnings or ban the account.
If you report a comment or post and Instagram finds the reported case true, they will remove it and probably suspend the reported account. If it is a case of intellectual property, Instagram will remove the copyrighted content and conduct more investigations to determine the truth of the matter.
Conclusion
Instagram is a great social platform with millions of users. Not everyone has your best interest at heart, and you might encounter abusive comments, spam accounts, and inappropriate content.
If such an unfortunate case happens, you have the freedom to report someone or their account. This guide covered how to report someone on Instagram, and we discussed what happens after you report them.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it’s not possible. Once you report someone on Instagram, you can’t retract the action. However, don’t panic, as Instagram may not look into the case, and if they do and find it was a false alarm, they won’t harm the reported person or their account.
Instagram doesn’t include “annoying” as part of the cases where you can report someone. It’s not ideal that you can report anyone who annoys you on Instagram. However, you can report the message if that person is annoying you by sending abusive or inappropriate content or messages. Use the steps covered in this guide. Instagram will investigate the case and probably suspend or ban the reported account.
Instagram reports are anonymous. Once you report someone, Instagram will look into the case and won’t notify the person that you reported them. However, if it’s a case of intellectual property, both parties must be involved to resolve the issue.
