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Instagram will make users prove their identity if an account shows suspicious behavior

This is a solid move, but will Instagram do a good job of identifying these accounts in the first place?

by
Deep Ballu
August 17, 2020

Image: Unsplash

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In a recent blog post, Instagram has stated that it will be way more proactive when it comes to inauthentic behavior. The company says that it will take action against accounts that try to take advantage of their platform and bots.

Instagram will enforce a new policy that will target only accounts whose behavior is flagged as inauthentic. So if you are a regular user, doing your thing, abiding by Instagram rules, this policy won’t affect you in any way.

However, if a particular account shows signs of automation (i.e. bots) then the account owner will need to confirm their identity. If they fail to do so, then Instagram will impose certain restrictions on the account, such as down-ranking their posts or even removing the account from the platform.

Why this and why now?

This is a fair question with a logical answer. For this, we need to turn towards Facebook – the company that owns Instagram.

First, Facebook has continuously been attacked for not doing enough to regulate disinformation and fake news. Then Instagram was also scrutinized for being idle toward possible election meddling during the 2016 elections. Both platforms were singled out in a report presented by the Senate Intelligence Committee.

We are at the dawn of a new presidential election, and that is why Instagram is enforcing this new policy. Instagram does not want to be flagged as an instrument of a potential election meddling and will do anything in their power not to make the same mistakes as in 2016.

According to new rules, Instagram will ask suspected accounts to submit a Government ID for verifying their identity. If these accounts fail to do so, then they may disable their account completely or face reduced distribution.

What do you think? Is this a good move by Instagram? Is it enough? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.