Instagram implementing additional account security features

Instagram implementing additional account security features

The popular photo-focused social network is adding account verification, an "About This Account" feature, and support for third party authentication methods as alternatives to its default text-based two-factor authentication login system.

In a blog post detailing these new security features, Mike Krieger, Instagram's Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer, stated that the social network is aiming to make its users safe and focusing on "stopping bad actors before they cause harm."

The "About This Account" function will detail statistics such as when the account was created, what country it's located in, username changes from the past year, and advertisements that the account is running. This feature is slated to be implemented "in the coming weeks," with users that have a large amount of followers being able to preview what information will be made publicly available. Worldwide access to the feature is planned to be implemented shortly thereafter.

In addition, users with a high follower count will be able to request verification, with an Instagram Help Center page describing the process.

The last announcement made was support for third party authenticator apps such as Authy and Duo mobile. Support for these authenticators will allow users to forgo sending a text message with an authentication code to sign in to their Instagram account on new devices. This is especially useful if your number on file with Instagram has changed or been stolen. This feature will be available for all Instagram users "in the coming weeks."

Additional coverage: Engadget The Verge VentureBeat

by Ian Dorfman

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Modern visual content platform featuring Stories, Reels, and IGTV, with tools for live-streaming, sharing, and exploring photo and video content.

Comments

Tom
1

You should also add Standard Notes

John Fastman
11

Some comments / suggestions

WPS:

Closed source and Chinese. You have to ask why they're offering their product for "free". That makes me suspicious enough not to want to install their software on my PC. Plenty of other Freemium software from China has proved insecure / privacy-invading (e.g. Maxthon). Libre Office is preferable in all regards and Only Office covers more ground for Microsoft compatibility.

Notion:

No Android app (what are they smoking?) and the pricing is very high if you're just one person.

Typora vs Mark Text:

Typora is nice, but will be free only during beta. For a similar open source app, see Mark Text. Another one to check out is Ghostwriter.


If you rely on a service to store your data, you should know that they can read your stuff if they don't use "zero-knowledge" or "end-to-end" encryption. Without this, they can also be forced to give your data up to government surverillance programs and your information is readable to any hackers that manage to breach the servers on which your stuff is stored. Here are some suggestions for writing apps that offer encryption and therefore cannot read or give away your data.

Collaboration + Encryption?

See Cryptpad. Open source, of course.

Encrypted html-based text editor

Try Airborn. It looks like Word, but it saves your stuff in .html format. Open source, as always.

[Edited by JohnFastman, April 30]

[Edited by JohnFastman, April 30]

1 reply
coralinecastell

John, thanks for your comment. Sorry it took me so long to update my list, but it now reflects your suggestions.

Jezebelisgone
1

Fantastic! A delightful and productive list to stumble on. Thank you so very much..

1 reply
coralinecastell

Hey, no problem! Glad it was useful to you. (:

I should actually add a few more entries to it...

Gu