Instagram’s looking to counter hashtag spammers, by removing the option to follow hashtags from the app.
Instagram is removing the option to follow tags, while any topics that you already follow will no longer display posts and Reels in your feed.

Why?

Well, as observed, spammers for ages targeted trending hashtags with junk; adding crap posts with irrelevant tags in order to reach an audience more. There really isn't much that can be done about this, and while Instagram has some rather advanced tools to filter out junk, it appears that a lot of users are still getting a pretty large degree of irrelevant stuff entering their streams.

So rather than continuing to try and combat these complaints, Instagram is simply removing the option altogether, which will remove this as an annoyance in this respect.

I mean, you'll still have your hashtag pollution come out in the feeds and the search results in Explore. You won't in your main feed, while at the same time, Instagram is now much better at understanding topic focus at a profile level, which will help ensure spammers trying to latch onto random tags don't get through.

It may also nudge more people into following individual creators, which will further help Instagram ingratiate itself with these users. Which is a critical focus for the app because it needs creators to keep posting to maintain interest and activity.

It also feels like another step toward the death of the hashtag, which has slowly lost relevance as a connective option as algorithms have gotten better and better and understanding content, context, and user interest.

Today, platform systems are so much more sophisticated at understanding what's in a video or image, and what users are engaging with, which then allows them to continue to show people you more of what they like based on that understanding. Hashtags now play only a minor role in this process, and it definitely feels like we're hitting the limit where they don't really add to reach and engagement.

Which is great, in terms of combating spam, and also bringing in relevant content even if creators do not know the exact words to put up for tags.

But still, it also feels like a basic premise of what made social media is fading out.

To be clear, though, hashtags are still alive on IG and are still used to help connect users with relevant content. But they're less relevant now than they ever were, and just seem to steadily be losing value over time.