With the new privacy policy in 2016, Instagram has made tons of changes. One thing is the find friend update. Instagram now, has allowed users to actually go into the contact list of your phone, and find friends who have Instagram from your contact list. This is only available, provided that the user has put their mobile number into their biography or settings of Instagram. I still think this is a great feature that allows people to connect with more users from Instagram. Instagram also has an age policy. Anybody under the age of thirteen is not allowed to have an active profile. In the event that Instagram finds an underage user, they will quickly delete their information as soon as possible. This is to prevent any harm to that young individual from predators, or inappropriate content that is not suitable for their age. © 2016 INSTAGRAM child protection policy. I feel that is a way that Instagram shows its protection, and safety towards young users.

Another new and convenient tool for all users, is that now, they have the ability to update information at any time. This was not the case when Instagram first launched, so it’s new policy has defiantly left their users very pleased with this new update. Another thing Instagram is very good, and known for, is the ability to delete your account in an easy and quick manner. Instagram unlike other social media websites, actually allows you to easily delete your account, if you are not feeling the website anymore, with no hassle at all. Most social media websites, at least some that I have used, have been very difficult to delete a profile. That right there for me is a red flag, that the website is a scam. If I can have the ability to delete my account without any hassle, then I can safely say that I trust that social media website, because that means that they are not asking anything from you in return, from choosing to leave their website. I think that over the past decade, we have all seen the growth and development of social media sites, and their polices. A lot of these companies have claimed to make changes, which has mislead people to thinking it was to improve their website for all users. In reality, the polices were to enhance the amount of users who will go on their website on a daily basis, or create ads, that lead to other websites, that you do not know about. For me, it takes trust, and knowing the safety, and accessibility of a social media website, in order for me to use it.

By: Michael Tomczak, 2016