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New Instagram Rule Cuts Off Live Broadcasts for Small Accounts
UNITED STATES, AUG 1 – Instagram now mandates public accounts with at least 1,000 followers to go live, aligning with TikTok’s policy and affecting smaller creators, the social network confirmed.
On August 2, 2025, Instagram confirmed that only public accounts with at least 1,000 followers can go live.
Instagram followed TikTok, with Meta saying the move is designed to improve the overall Live experience and mirrors TikTok’s 1,000-follower threshold.
In practice, the requirement excludes as many as 1.7 billion of the platform’s roughly 2 billion users and bars private accounts from going live.
Social media users reacted with displeasure and called for reversal, with one saying, 'I don't even know why I bother with Instagram any more.'
Looking ahead, some foresee it driving users to purchase followers from bot farms or seek alternative channels used by celebrities, political figures, and fringe groups.