Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters, be organized by hashtags, and be associated with a location via geographical tagging. Posts can be shared publicly or with preapproved followers. Users can browse other users' content by tags and locations, view trending content, like photos, and follow other users to add their content to a personal feed. A Meta-operated image-centric social media platform, it is available on iOS, Android, Windows 10, and the web. Users can take photos and edit them using built-in filters and other tools, then share them on other social media platforms like Facebook. It supports 32 languages including English, Spanish, French, Korean, and Japanese.
Some of the key events about Instagram
- 2010Launched as a photo-sharing app for iOS devices
- 2011Added hashtags to help users discover content and trends
- 2012Acquired by Facebook for $1 billion
- 2012Controversial change to Terms of Service claimed rights to sell users' photos without notification or compensation
- 2013Introduced video sharing capabilities
- 2013Faced criticism for hosting content promoting eating disorders and self-harm
- 2014Removed millions of fake accounts, causing many users to lose significant numbers of followers
- 2015Launched Boomerang, a looping video app
- 2016Introduced Stories, a feature for sharing ephemeral content
- 2016Added live video streaming functionality
- 2016Changed algorithm to non-chronological feed, frustrating many users
- 2017Hackers exploited a bug in Instagram's API to access celebrity phone numbers and email addresses
- 2018Launched IGTV for long-form vertical video content
- 2018Co-founders resigned amid reported tensions with Facebook leadership
- 2019Leaked data of millions of influencers and celebrities, including private contact information
- 2020Introduced Reels, a short-form video feature
- 2020Sued for allegedly collecting biometric data without user consent
- 2021Internal research revealed Instagram's negative impact on teen mental health, particularly for girls
- 2022Reached 2 billion monthly active users globally
- 2022Fined €405 million by Irish regulators for violating children's privacy
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.
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