Do we like them?

Do we like Instagram?

Photo, video and messaging social app run by Meta Platforms, used by billions of people worldwide. Based in Menlo Park, US.

Our score: 3 out of 10. Not with our money. Courts and regulators keep finding it harmed kids, and the teen protections only came after heavy legal pressure. The app is widely used, but the record is poor.

Instagram's founders, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, quit in 2018. Adam Mosseri, a long-time Facebook (now Meta) exec, took over. TechCrunch reported at the time that he'd have to balance Instagram's needs against its parent's revenue priorities. He's still in charge today.

The big drama is kids. In March 2026 a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube liable in the first social media addiction trial. Meta was 70% responsible. The day before, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million over failing to protect young users from predators. Meta said it disagreed and would look at appealing.

In August 2026 Meta settled with US state attorneys general. The deal is worth up to about $17B and brings teen defaults on Instagram: a two-hour daily cap, no midnight-to-6am use, and a non-algorithmic feed option. There was no verdict and, per one report, no admission of liability.

Europe isn't done with it either. The Irish regulator fined Meta €405M over children's data on Instagram. In July 2026 the European Commission said, as a preliminary view, that the addictive design of Instagram and Facebook breaks EU rules. Meta disagreed. Ofcom has also opened a probe into the Instants feature.

Why a 3? Teen Accounts and the settlement's limits are real steps. But they came after years of pressure, and a court has now found the design harmful. Mosseri himself told a court that a time-limit nudge helped less than hoped and he wished it had been fixed sooner. We wouldn't back it.