Safety, Security & Privacy

Hey, fellow future Influencer!

In this section, we’ll be reviewing ways to make your page more safe and secure. Instagram provides a seamless way to share filtered snapshots of life's highlights, but like anything on the internet, it has attracted its share of bad actors. While being safe is obviously important for everyone, it is even more important in the case of Influencers, considering their pages are public and have larger followings, which therefore makes the consequences all the more serious if someone else gets access to their account.

Many people don’t know that Instagram itself has introduced a number of features intended to secure your account. There are settings you can manage to control your account's privacy and ensure no one breaks into your account. Here's how to make your Instagram account safer:

Two Factor Authentication

Turn on two-factor authentication. It can keep hackers from gaining access to your account (as taught in Episode 1 in Digital Literacy). You’ll find this feature under Settings > Security > Two-factor Authentication.

Passwords

Pick a strong password and keep it safe; never give your password to someone you don't know and trust. Use a combination of at least six numbers, letters and special characters (like !$@%), and try to avoid repetition (as taught in Episode 1 in Digital Literacy). Change your password regularly, especially if you see a message from Instagram asking you to do so. During automated security checks, Instagram sometimes recovers login information that was stolen from other sites. If Instagram detects that your password may have been stolen, changing your password on Instagram and other sites helps to keep your account secure and prevent you from being hacked in the future.

Comments

You have the option to control the comments you want to see. Comments are where the majority of conversation happens on Instagram, so it’s important for you to feel comfortable with the comments on your posts. Instagram has the filter to filter comments based on chosen keywords or default keywords we have identified. Also, If you see a comment you don’t want on your post, you can delete it by swiping left and tapping the trash icon. If you want to disable all comments on a post, tap “Advanced Settings” before you post, and toggle “Turn Off Commenting” to the “On” position. Want to turn off commenting on an older post? Change the status of comments on any post, at any time, by tapping the “…” menu after you’ve posted.

Report

If you experience or witness any abuse, bullying, harassment or impersonation, immediately report it. Ensure all your content on Instagram is lawful and follows their Community Guidelines.

If you see something questionable or a post you believe violates the guidelines, here’s how you can report it:

To report a comment, swipe to the left and tap the arrow.
To report a specific post or an account, tap the “…” menu and then “Report.”
Or, you can also fill out the report form and the Instagram review team will determine if the comment, post or account should be taken down.

Some More Tips:

Download your data. You can keep a backup of your data by requesting a copy of everything you've shared on Instagram in a machine readable HTML or JSON format. Note: You'll need your Instagram account password to request this information.

Limit data mining. You can choose if Instagram uses information from its partners to target you with ads. Go to Settings > Ads and toggle off the option.

Protect your location. Before making an Instagram post go live, make sure your address, phone number, license plate, or other identification isn’t in the post. You can use virtual stickers to easily hide personal information.

Use the pop-ups. IG has a pop-up that asks permission to track your activity across other apps. Tap No.

When you share a computer or phone with others, remember to Log Out of your Instagram and make sure not to check the “Remember Me” box, as this will keep you logged in even after you close the browser window. For added security, use a lock code on your phone to ensure no one can access your account if your phone is lost.

Always check the Permissions and make sure it's safe before you authorize any third-party app.