INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
Some online services offer to boost your popularity for a fee
Photo-sharing platform Instagram has announced a new initiative that will target fake likes and comments.The company say they have developed
tools that can identify accounts that use third-party services and apps to artificially boost their popularity.Any accounts violating will
be warned and told to change their password.Since its launch in 2010, Instagram has become a tool for online influencers to amass large
followings and often, in turn, get paid to market products.Payment for this form of advertising is often scaled by the size of the
influencer's online audience and engagements but an online investigation by marketing agency Mediakiz last year showed just how easy it is
to become a fake influencer.Some popular apps utilised by users to boost their followings have been recently shut down, but others that pay
monthly subscription fees are still available, website Techcrunch reports.These services often require users to hand over their private log
in information, something Instagram warns violates its community guidelines and compromises individual security
Image copyrightInstagramImage caption
Users who have used third-party services will be prompted to secure their
accounts
The firm says people who continue to use third-party apps to fake activity "may see their Instagram experience
impacted".They say the move is "just another step" to keep Instagram "a vibrant community where people connect in authentic ways"
It is the latest in a string of high-profile moves by social media firms to secure themselves against misinformation, fake users and
recent years having passed a billion users.In September, its founders announced they were leaving the firm after reports of tension between
