Instagram Shutting Down Hashtags Related To Selling Illegal Drugs

Instagram is an extremely popular photo-sharing social media service that allows its users around the world to share both photos and videos to any of their followers, as well as strangers if they’d like. Hashtags help a user find content they’re interested in by filtering user’s posts to show only a specific topic. It looks like some Instagram users were using the service and hashtags to sell illegal drugs online.

BBC looked into the problem on Instagram as their reporters found many photos and videos of illegal drugs published along with text to help those who are interested in purchasing them to get in touch with the right people. Since this kind of activity has been discovered, Instagram has started blocking hashtags that are widely used in order for people to sell drugs through the service.

Instagram encourages its users if they happen to come across any additional photos or videos that contain information on how to obtain illegal drugs, to use the services “report photo/video” option. That is, unless you’re actually looking for illegal drugs to purchase on Instagram. If that’s the case, we’re sure you’ll just continue doing what you’re doing and find another way to get the illegal drugs you so crave from other social media services.

Daniel Perez
Categories: Cellphones, Tablets, Web
Tags: Instagram