Instagram has officially rolled out a new restriction that limits its Live feature to accounts with 1,000 or more followers, a major shift from its previous open-access policy. The update, which quietly appeared in recent weeks, is expected to significantly affect small creators who use IG Live to engage directly with niche audiences.
Meta has yet to provide an official explanation, but industry observers speculate the move aims to curb misuse of new accounts and improve stream quality. The change also aligns Instagram with other platforms like TikTok and YouTube, which have similar thresholds for live-streaming.
While it may raise the bar for safety and content standards, many smaller creators now face a new hurdle in building meaningful engagement on the platform.
