"Account compromised" on Instagram an error message that requires a password reset to re-access the social network. In general, the notice sent to people who performed activities considered to be authentic, such as using third-party apps to earn likes and followers.
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Manual actions do not usually lead to compromising the account, but there are reports of users who received the alert after using automation tools to publish posts. Next, the dnetc brings questions and answers about compromised Instagram accounts and shows tips for solving the problem.
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Why was my account compromised?
The simplest answer to this question is that you're probably using third-party apps to get more likes or increase the number of followers. Users with a compromised account receive the following message when opening Instagram: "It looks like you shared your password with a service to help get more likes or followers, which violates our Community Guidelines. Change your password to continue using Instagram. If you share your new password with one of these services, you may have the ability to follow likes or comments blocked. "
Over the years, the social network has been repressing non-authentic activities on its platform. In November 2018, Zuckerberg's company announced that it would adopt an even more rigid stance for accounts that resort to unofficial services to artificially increase their popularity.
Instagram punishes users who perform non-authentic activities to ensure the safety of the community of members Photo: Rodrigo Fernandes / dnetc
This is because, according to Instagram, the practice not only introduces bad behavior in the user community, but also leaves accounts more vulnerable, since they need to share their username and password with third-party applications.
The social network uses machine learning tools to identify accounts that use these services and remove non-authentic activities. However, according to reports on the Internet, some users have begun to receive the alert after using applications to schedule the publication of content on Instagram, such as Sprout Social. This indicates that automation tools can also lead to account compromise.
It is worth mentioning that, according to the terms of the social network, information from registered users can only be shared between Facebook companies and with advertisers, measurement partners, academic researchers and legal authorities, if necessary.
What activities may compromise my account?
In a statement on the support website, Instagram said it was reducing non-authentic activities that violate community guidelines. In other words, users who:
- They take action to enjoy and follow through bots;
- Buy likes to make a post more popular;
- Buy followers to boost profile popularity;
- They use bots to make and post comments automatically.
How to solve the problem?
Users with compromised accounts need to reset their Instagram password Photo: Marvin Costa / dnetc
First, I need to reset the Instagram password. To do this, just tap on the blue button just below the compromised account message. If you participate in any follower purchase service, stop using it immediately and revoke the application access to your account. It is worth remembering that the use of apps that reveal information such as who viewed your profile also violates Instagram's terms of use and can lead to temporary blocking.
To avoid having your account compromised again, also try to reduce the intensity of the actions to like, follow and comment in the hours after unlocking. In addition, it is valid to temporarily stop using tools that automate the publication of content, such as mLabs and Postgrain. If you can't give up scheduling the posts, use the Creation Studio for Instagram.
Link your Instagram profile to Facebook to avoid having your account compromised Photo: Reproduo / Helito Beggiora
Finally, connect your personal or business account to your Facebook profile or page. It is common for Instagram accounts created or maintained by bots to be associated with no account on Zuckerberg’s other social network. By connecting both profiles, you show Instagram that you are a real person and reinforce the credibility of your actions.