Report · Culture

Many Americans rate Instagram's rules as moderately strict

Reading

More Americans call Instagram's rules and social norms 'moderately strict' (29%) than give any other single verdict, according to a May 2026 Verasight survey of 496 U.S. adults. Roughly a quarter (26%) say they don't use the app at all.

Another 20% see the rules as only 'slightly strict' and 14% say they are 'not strict at all,' while stricter verdicts stay rare: 7% call them 'very strict' and 4% 'extremely strict.'.

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

Many Americans rate Instagram's rules as moderately strict.

On Instagram, how strict are the rules and social norms about what people can say or do?

  • Moderately strict 29.0%
  • I don't use that app 25.6%
  • Slightly strict 20.0%
  • Not strict at all 14.3%
  • Very strict 7.4%
  • Extremely strict 3.7%

2026 · base n 496 · +/- 4.7%

beliefs

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2026-05-11 → 2026-05-11
Base (unweighted)
496
Margin of error
+/- 4.7%
Module
beliefs

Source

Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=496 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.7%.

https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.