Instagram details big changes to account verification and other security features – BGR

If you’d like to have your Instagram account verified, you can now apply for it directly from your phone. It’s as easy as that. However, Instagram makes it clear that just because you’re applying for verification doesn’t guarantee your application will be approved. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Twitter has been doing it for a while and it only makes sense to see Instagram do it too, considering how popular Facebook’s social photo service is.

To apply, just go to Settings inside the Instagram app and then tap on Request Verification. You’ll have to give Instagram your account name, full name, and legal or business ID. If you don’t want to give out that information, you can’t be verified, obviously.

Image Source: Instagram

Instagram will later tell you whether your application has been approved or rejected. It’s easier to be verified if you’re a public figure, celebrity or brand, and if you meet certain requirements that Instagram explains on its help pages. If your verification is refected, you can reapply down the road.

In addition to the new verification system, Instagram is looking to improve security for Instagram users with the help of third-party authenticator apps like Google Authenticator and DUO Mobile. You’ll be able to use these services for two-factor authentication (2FA) instead of traditional text messages. A few days ago, we learned that several Instagram users complained that Russian hackers stole their accounts, including users who had 2FA turned on.

Additionally, Instagram is introducing an About This Account feature meant to deliver more information about certain accounts. That way, users will know exactly how authentic an Instagram account is, as the new About page will tell you when the account was created, what country the account is located in, whether it shares followers with other accounts, whether it changed the username in the last year, and the ads the account is running.

Image Source: Instagram

The full blog post, penned by Instagram co-founder and CTO Mike Krieger, is available at this link.

Image Source: Simon Belcher/imageBROKER/REX/Shutterstock

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