Las Vegas, NV—Instagram recently announced there are now more than 300 million Instagrammers sharing their lives with the world through photography. According to the company, four years ago it started out as two friends with a dream and it has grown into a global community that shares more than 70 million photos and videos each day.
“Instagram is home to creativity in all of its forms, a place where viewers can find everything from images of the Nile River to the newest look from Herschel Supply or a peek inside the mind of Taylor Swift. We’re thrilled to watch this community thrive and witness the amazing connections people make over shared passions and journeys,” Kevin Systrom, Instagram’s CEO, wrote in the company’s blog.
To enhance the experience, last November, Instagram launched a People tab on the Explore page that highlights interesting accounts to follow, and also launched improvements to search. Yet followers have wondered how they can be sure the people on Instagram are really who they say they are. To address that concern, Instagram introduced verified badges for celebrities, athletes and brands, making it easier for followers to connect with the authentic accounts they’re looking for. These badges started rolling out in December.
“We’re committed to doing everything possible to keep Instagram free from the fake and spammy accounts that plague much of the web, and that’s why we’re finishing up some important work that began earlier this year,” Systrom continued. “We’ve been deactivating spammy accounts from Instagram on an ongoing basis to improve your experience. As part of this effort, we will be deleting these accounts forever, so they will no longer be included in follower counts.” instagram.com
