Visibility of the list of individuals following an Instagram account is determined by the account’s privacy settings. If an account is public, any user can view its followers and those it is following. Conversely, a private account restricts this visibility to approved followers only. Therefore, controlling who can see the follower list is directly tied to managing account privacy.
Restricting access to the follower list enhances control over the information displayed. This can mitigate unwanted attention or data scraping, contributing to a more secure and personalized online experience. This practice has become increasingly relevant as users seek greater autonomy over their digital footprint and the data associated with their social media profiles.