The photo-sharing social network has begun locking down its platform by preventing signed-out users from having unlimited access to public profiles. As a result, you’ll now be prompted to either sign up or login after viewing a handful of photos and posts via mobile or desktop web. Worse, there’s no getting around it. “This is to help people see photos on Instagram and then understand how to get the best Instagram experience by being part of the community, connecting and interacting with the people and things they love,” the company told Adweek. The change marks Instagram’s continued evolution since co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger entrusted their popular creation in the hands of Facebook last September. Not long ago, it tweaked the location pages associated with places tagged on photos to require a login. While it definitely makes sense that the company would want to keep its content behind login barriers, pressure tactics like this could also help drive more people to sign up for the service, if they haven’t already. With over a billion monthly active users, the Facebook-owned social media service has quickly become a key to unlocking a major source of revenue for the Menlo Park tech giant. Thus, it’s no surprise that it’s finding newer ways to ensnare people into its ecosystem.
