More Ads Coming to Instagram

Publication date: 27 August 2019

Instagram to serve more ads

Instagram is set to increase its ad presence significantly, making it an even more attractive platform for advertisers. The platform recently launched a test where a select group of users are now exposed to two consecutive ads within Stories rather than one. This change is designed to assess whether showing more ads in a single viewing session can improve ad performance and user engagement without sacrificing the user experience. Instagram has stated that the primary objective of this experiment is to refine ad delivery for better interaction, engagement, and relevance to users.

Reports suggest that Facebook, Instagram’s parent company, has been actively pushing the platform to scale up its ad volume to meet higher revenue targets. With increasing competition in the social media landscape and Facebook’s expansion into various digital ad markets, this shift could make Instagram one of the most ad-heavy platforms under its umbrella. Over the last year, Instagram’s ad volume has doubled, with additional ad placements seen not only in Stories but also in Explore, Reels, and even in some users’ main feeds. This surge in advertising opportunities is part of a broader strategy to attract more brands seeking to leverage Instagram’s highly active and visually engaged user base.

• Read also: How to gain followers on Instagram

Threads Messenger for Close Friends

Facebook is close to completing its new Threads messenger app, designed for Instagram users to share content and connect with close friends. This companion app will allow users to automatically share their location, speed, and phone battery status in addition to the usual text, photo, and video updates. Currently in private testing, Threads allows users to update statuses manually or automatically. It displays general statuses like “On the move” without giving specific location details. Conversations appear in the main feed, and users who are online are marked with a green dot, similar to Facebook’s online indicator.

Instagram Security Vulnerability Found

Security researcher Laxman Muthiyah recently discovered a vulnerability in Instagram’s platform that could allow unauthorized access to user accounts. He found that a single device identifier used by Instagram’s servers for password reset codes could be exploited to request multiple codes for different accounts, potentially leading to account breaches. With around 1 million possible six-digit codes, targeting even a fraction of users with this method increases the success rate of unauthorized access. Muthiyah reported this issue to Instagram’s and Facebook’s security teams and received a $10,000 bounty for his discovery.