Instagram is one of the most popular social networks right now, so much so that there are people making a living off their Instagram profiles similar to YouTubers. As with its counterparts, success on the photo-sharing app comes with large numbers of followers and likes. Not all of those come from real people, however, and Instagram has had enough with users’ shenanigans and is putting an end to it, a recent blog post informs us.
As the rules of every market dictate, where there’s a demand for a service or a product, someone is there to supply it. When it comes to Instagram, the demand for high follower numbers, sometimes even required by modeling agencies to be considered for a job, created a niche for third-party apps and accounts made for the sole purpose of providing likes and follows to whoever pays for them.
Now, Instagram is putting to use newly developed machine learning tools that will detect and remove likes, follows and comments that are coming from illegitimate sources, according to the company’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Use. Since user count is important for Instagram, it’s not banning the offenders, instead:
Accounts we identify using these services will receive an in-app message alerting them that we have removed the inauthentic likes, follows and comments given by their account to others. We will also ask them to secure their account by changing their password.
Seems like Instagram is giving users the benefit of doubt and letting everyone who misbehaved suffer only a slight change in numbers. However, the post states that the new measures will be ongoing and repeat offenders will “see their Instagram experience impacted”, leaving to your imagination what might actually happen.
Now is the time to keep an eye on your favorite Instagram accounts to see if they’ll get a sudden drop in followers, exposing their wretched ways!
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