Harassment is a real problem online, and Instagram has its share of trolls. These are the users who intentionally stir the pot; they insult people and disrupt good vibes within communications with such behavior. For both brands and individuals, this behavior can be exhausting and costly to address. The recommended approach is to switch to a private profile, and encryption is strong enough that third-party Instagram profile viewer apps or tools won’t be able to find a loophole. The question is: Is it an effective shield? Although it can be useful, it is not the answer.
Let’s take a look at exactly what a private profile does, and you can find out more about Instagram privacy settings in general if you want to safeguard your account. We will also investigate whether we can circumvent these defences.
How a Private Profile Can Help
When you make your Instagram private, it gives you the power to choose who can follow and possibly see your photos and videos. New followers must be manually approved, which serves as an early deterrent for trolls. Because they are unable to see your posts or Stories, there are fewer potential opportunities for them to leave abusive comments or harass you in messages. It may seem like a little thing, but it can dramatically decrease your exposure to random trolls who are just looking for a “soft target.”
The Limitations of a Private Profile
But a private profile is hardly foolproof. A malicious troll can still ask to follow you, and if they use a fake profile that looks legit, you may inadvertently approve them. What’s more, a lot of third-party apps purport to be Instagram profile viewer apps that can bypass privacy settings, but end up violating the terms of service and might also put your device at risk of malware.
Additionally, you lose discoverability when you make your account private, as your content is no longer publicly available. While this isn’t always a significant issue, if you want people to find and interact with what you post on the platform, it can be a problem. For aspiring brands and creators seeking to expand their audiences, it’s a significant downside.
Data on Instagram Harassment
Understanding the scope of online harassment helps contextualize the importance of protective measures:
| Harassment Type | Percentage Affected | Most Vulnerable Demographics |
| Verbal abuse | 41% of users | Women 18-29, LGBTQ+ individuals |
| Targeted harassment | 18% of users | Public figures, activists |
| Doxxing attempts | 7% of users | Journalists, business owners |
| Coordinated attacks | 12% of users | Controversial content creators |
Data compiled from the Pew Research Center and platform safety reports.
These statistics mean that harassment is a significant issue for many on Instagram and that protective steps really are necessary, not just nice to have.
Beyond the Private Profile: More Ways to Block Trolls
Because a private profile only begets so much, the best thing to do is pair it with Instagram’s other powerful safety tools.
Hide Offensive Comments
Instagram features an automatic comment blocking system that detects and blocks comments containing offensive language. This filter utilizes machine learning and a list of commonly reported words to maintain a clean comments section.
To enable this feature:
- Go to Settings and Privacy.
- Scroll down to Hidden words.
- Turn on Hide comments.
Create Custom Keyword Lists
For added personal protection, you can create your own list of custom words, phrases, and emojis. Comments with these words in them will disappear. This is especially helpful when you want to block certain slurs or spam that trolls often bombard your account with. You can also add these terms to the same Hidden words list, along with your settings.
Use Moderation Tools
With Imginn and many other tools, you can view public accounts without letting on that you have been there, which highlights the importance of managing your digital presence. You can’t always prevent people from seeing public posts, but you can moderate the conversation that happens on your own. Social media management tools from third parties, such as Agorapuls, have more robust moderation rules that can detect incoming comments containing specific words and automatically review, assign, or delete a given comment, allowing you to deal with trolls more efficiently.
Turn Off Comments
If an individual post seems to be drawing a flood of negativity, you can even disable comments for that post altogether. You can do this the first time you upload a post via Advanced Settings, or on an existing post by tapping the three dots and choosing Turn Off Commenting. That’s an extreme action, but it could be useful to have in your back pocket if you’re the victim of a targeted attack.
Establishing a Safer Community
Taking technical steps is important, but building a safe online space also involves setting clear expectations.
Create a Code of Conduct
Create a code of conduct for your community. Discuss what kind of language and behavior is acceptable and what is not. Pin this to your profile or share in your Stories so your followers understand the rules. You can always come back to the code if you need to report abuse or block this user. This transparency promotes a respectful environment and also enables your community to report trolls.
Don’t Feed the Trolls
Remember, trolls thrive on attention. Communicating with them usually only makes things worse. Don’t reply; instead, use what is available to you: hide their comments. Restrict the account. Block the user and report them. Your time is better spent talking to the people who follow you but are more engaged.
Your Toolkit for a Safer Instagram
Though making your Instagram account private is a strong line of defense against trolls, it works best when combined with other safety tools. By hiding abusive comments, using custom blacklists, and establishing a code of conduct, you can build a stronger barrier against being abused online. And, whether private or public, you can utilize any of these to protect your mental health and contribute to building a more positive community.
