Instagram policy change means it can delete rule-breaking accounts faster

Instagram is changing its rules so it can disable accounts that break its rules more quickly.

The company announced a policy change that allows the service to delete accounts that break too many of its rules during a set period of time. Up until now, Instagram only removed accounts that had "a certain percentage of violating content."

That percentage rule -- the company doesn't disclose the exact percentage -- is still in effect, but now there's a new rule that will allow Instagram to take down accounts that break a lot of rules in a shorter period of time.

The change comes as the company faces criticism for its inability to block graphic images of a teen's dead body on its platform. Though Instagram says it has used image-blocking tech to prevent the photos from spreading, the platform hasn't been able to catch everything, as my Mashable colleague Morgan Sung earlier reported. Instagram said it disabled many anonymous accounts responsible for the continued sharing.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Additionally, Instagram now says it will send warnings to people whose accounts are in danger of being deleted for breaking too many of its rules. The app will alert users who have had posts removed for rule-breaking, and will let them know if an account deletion is imminent.

Previously, users could have their accounts deleted with no warning, and without necessarily understanding what they had done wrong. Some people whose accounts were deleted assumed they had been hacked, since their account disappeared with no warning.

However, there's one common scenario where these warnings will not apply: accounts that are disabled for trademark or copyright violations. That process, which is a sore spot for many accounts that post viral videos, will remain separate, according to an Instagram spokesperson.