The Banned #Hastags Of Instagram

Instagram already blocks searches like #proanorexia and #thinspiration in the name of protecting users, but the photo sharing service is also known to block searches on hashtags that may contain lewd or pornographic content like #porn and #ass. This got us wondering what other hashtags Instagram blocks users from searching.

Using the Instagram API, a list of popular hashtags, and a list of foul language, The Data Pack has put together the following unofficial, and incomplete list of words that Instagram blocks users from searching.

A few interesting notes on the list. As well as the obvious crude and pornographic searches, there are a few notable hashtags in the list including seemingly benign hashtags like #photography, #iphone, and #instagram. Instagram co-founder, Mike Krieger, addresses the issue in a post on the Instagram API Developer Google Group, stating that Instagram block searches on several high volume hashtags that add little value.

“We’ve stopped serving feeds (both in app and API) for some tags that were too generic and didn’t provide enough end-user value.”

It’s also interesting to note that the list contains multiple variations of words that are obviously blocked by Instagram. For example, the list contains both #boobs and #bigboobs, where #boobs is obviously the banned word.

An unofficial (and incomplete) list of blocked and unsearchable Instagram hashtags