Instagram is the new destination for influencers and people who would just like to share their life experiences in the form of photos and videos. With millions of users on the platform, it is easy to get confused while finding the right account, maybe for a celebrity or a known figure. For this reason alone, Instagram has verified badges to help people identify authentic accounts from parody ones.
Having that coveted blue badge next to the username has its own significance and a sense of belonging to an exclusive club, getting verified by Instagram hasn't been an easy task. Instagram's verification badge is not for every Tom, Dick, and Harry, but only celebrities, notable figures, major brands and popular organizations can have it so users know the information coming from those accounts is authentic.
But the tedious and mysterious ways of getting verified on Instagram finally comes to an end as Instagram has now opened the long-awaited feature of requesting verification from within the account to all users. That's right if you think you need that coveted blue badge to thwart duplicity, Instagram's verified badge is only a few simple steps away.
How to request a verification badge for your Instagram account?
Every account will now have a verification request form. To access that, users must go to account settings and select "Request Verification." Users will then need to provide the account username, full name and a copy of legal or business identification, which the company says will not be made public.
As we mentioned earlier, Instagram's verification badge is not for every Tom, Dick, and Harry, and the Facebook-owned social media platform says that in its own way.
"To be verified, an account must comply with Instagram's Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. We will review verification requests to confirm the authenticity, uniqueness, completeness, and notability of each account," Mike Krieger, co-founder & CTO, said in a statement.
Even if you fit the criteria for a verified badge on Instagram, submitting the request form does not guarantee that your account will be verified. In any case, users will receive a notification confirming or decline the request for verification after Instagram has reviewed the request. Above all, Krieger explicitly mentions that Instagram never requests payment for verification or reach out to confirm your verification.
Due to the complexity of getting verified on Instagram started a black market for that coveted blue badge, where middlemen would charge as high as $15,000. But most often these unofficial requests turned out to be a scam to earn some quick buck. Instagram's transparency on the process of getting verified sets the record straight once and for all.
