In response to suggestions that Instagram had shed users amid policy changes, the photo-sharing site has released monthly active user data, for the first time.
Posted on Instagram's press page, the figures state the site currently has 90 million monthly active users. Although this figure is down from the 100 million active monthly users it boasted in September last year, it is up 10% month-on-month in the period from December to January. According to Instagram, 40 million photos are posted each day and these images generate 8 500 likes and 1 000 comments per second. The firm did not reveal daily active user numbers in its announcement.
Talking to AllThingsD, Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom said the site continues to see strong growth globally. "With many of the product and internationalisation improvements we've made, we've been excited to see these efforts resonate with users globally."
The move to reveal user data comes as Instagram prepares to implement its updated terms of service and privacy policy this weekend. Original drafts of the updates raised the ire of users, as they proposed an eventual monetisation of the product. But Instagram asserts the apparent drop in daily active users due to these policy changes, as reported in the media, has not affected interest in the service.
What's all the fuss about?
According to The Wall Street Journal, previous reports that daily active user figures had dropped by between 25% and 42% were potentially misleading. Notably, Instagram's official figures detailed monthly active users, while the media reports of user decline were based on daily active user figures, which are more prone to fluctuation.
In addition, much of the data, which formed the basis of media reports, is based on the activity of users who have connected their Instagram account with their Facebook account, and not all users connect their Facebook and Instagram profiles. This measurement is therefore a questionable indicator of how many people are using the service at any given time.
There is also the possibility that the holiday season could have caused many users to take a sabbatical from sharing their pictures.
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