Instagram is making it easier to find out if accounts are real.
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It’s all about being transparent now for Instagram.
The Facebook-owned photo app announced three new tools Tuesday. As well as enabling two-factor authentication via third-party apps, users can now see more information about other Instagram accounts through a feature called “About the Account.”
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A new verification request form found under settings will also let users apply for a blue verified badge similar to the one found on Twitter verified accounts, although the company adds requests for verification do not guarantee an account will be successfully verified.
These new tools let users evaluate the authenticity of accounts and makes it easier to know if an account you are interacting with is the authentic presence of a notable public figure, according to a post on Instagram’s blog.
Instagram’s announcement comes amid its parent company Facebook’s own efforts to wipe fake accounts from its platform. Last week, the social network said it removed 652 “inauthentic” pages, groups and accounts involved in a coordinated campaign originating from Iran.
“As the CTO of Instagram, keeping people with bad intentions off our platform is incredibly important to me,” wrote Mike Krieger, Instagram’s co-founder and chief technology officer.
“That means trying to make sure the people you follow and the accounts you interact with are who they say they are, and stopping bad actors before they cause harm.”
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