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Instagram is opening up its verification process to certain accounts with a large following.
Only notable public figures, celebrities, and global brands or entities will be accepted for the much-desired blue tick, in a bid to help people find authentic profiles on the popular social networking app.
“Today we are enabling a new way for accounts that reach large audiences and meet our criteria to request verification through a form within the Instagram app,” the Facebook-owned company said.
“We will review verification requests to confirm the authenticity, uniqueness, completeness and notability of each account.”
This means that many popular accounts, such as those focused on humour or pets, do not meet the standards for verification, despite their sizeable following.
Anyone wishing to apply must go to the “Request Verification” option under the Settings menu, and provide Instagram with their account username, full name and a copy of their legal or business identification.
The move is part of a wider plan to improve safety on Instagram, which will be followed by a new “About This Account” feature in the coming weeks.
Users will be able to see more information about accounts with a large audience, such as the date they joined, the country where the account is located, any username changes and any adverts the account is currently running.
“Our community has told us that it’s important to them to have a deeper understanding of accounts that reach many people on Instagram, particularly when those accounts are sharing information related to current events, political or social causes, for example,” Instagram’s co-founder Mike Krieger explained.
“In September, people who have accounts that reach large audiences can review the information about their accounts that will soon be publicly available.”
