If you are a regular user of Instagram, encountering the message ‘We restrict certain activity to protect our community’ can certainly be mildly frustrating.
In this world of cyberbullying on almost all social media platforms, the platforms have maintained a set of community guidelines to which all users must adhere. This ensures a user-friendly and healthy community environment is maintained on the platform.
However, if you are among those who have received a ‘We restrict certain activity to protect our community’ warning message on Instagram, this article is for you. In this article, we will provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to address this issue and regain access to your Instagram account. But before delving into the fixes, first, let us understand why you are seeing this message.
Why you are seeing the ‘We restrict certain activity to protect our community’ message on Instagram?
Here are a few reasons why you are seeing the ‘We restrict certain activity to protect our community’ error on Instagram:
You have violated Instagram’s community guidelines
Instagram has a set of community guidelines that users must follow. If you violate these guidelines, Instagram may restrict your activity or might outright ban you in the future. Do read the community guidelines and reflect on your recent actions on the platform. Maybe you have violated one or many guidelines knowingly or unknowingly.
Other users have flagged your account
If other users report your account for violating Instagram’s community guidelines, Instagram may restrict your activity.
If Instagram receives multiple reports about your content or behaviour, the platform’s automated systems may temporarily restrict your ability to perform certain actions to protect the community.
Unusual account activity
Unusual or irregular activity on your Instagram account, such as a sudden increase in followers or engagement, can trigger the ‘We restrict certain activity to protect our community’ error message.
Technical issue with Instagram
In rare cases, this error message can be caused by a technical issue with Instagram.
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We restrict certain activity to protect our community: Possible fixes
Now that we have understood why are you seeing the ‘We restrict certain activity to protect our community’ error message on Instagram, let us now try to fix the issue so that you can go back to enjoying the social media platform:
Review your activity
Start by reviewing your recent Instagram activity and check if you have violated any Instagram community guidelines. Here are some nefarious activities that can result in you seeing the message on Instagram:
- Posting spam or irrelevant content.
- Following or unfollowing too many people in a short time.
- Sending too many direct messages.
- Posting any content which might the feelings of any group.
If you have done any of the above activities, chances are that you have violated the Instagram community guidelines, hence the message.
Uninstall any third-party app for Instagram
There are many third-party apps in the market that you can use to sign in on Instagram. Usually, these apps provide much more customisation and offer one-sided privacy to the users. However, many media platforms are against these third-party apps and might even ban you if you continuously use the apps after several warnings.
Consider this message as your warning and uninstall any third-party app that you are using.
Wait it out
Instagram is usually pretty liberal when it comes to such incidents. Users have reported that if you stop using Instagram for a few days to a few weeks, you can easily sign back in on Instagram. So, waiting it out seems a pretty natural response.
Contact Instagram support
If you have waited for a few days to weeks and are still not able to access your account, then you should contact Instagram support. Instagram support can help you investigate the issue and lift the restrictions if were applied in error.
Also read: How to pin a comment on Instagram?
How to prevent the ‘We Restrict certain activity to protect our community’ message?
The best way to prevent the ‘We restrict certain activity to protect our community is to follow Instagram’s community guidelines:
- Post relevant and high-quality content.
- Follow and unfollow people naturally.
- Send direct messages only to people you know and trust.
- Avoid using third-party apps to interact with Instagram.
Also read: Instagram message stuck on sending: Quick Fix