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Instagram, a renowned social media platform, was initially launched in 2010 by innovators Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. It originated as a check-in app known as Burbn, but later transitioned into a photo-sharing application, hence the name Instagram. The platform is globally acclaimed for its ability to share photos and videos, augmented by features such as hashtags, stories, and private messaging. Over the years, Instagram has seen substantial growth and transformation, broadening its reach to various operating systems and consistently integrating new tools and features. These additions encompass IGTV, Reels, and improvements to live streaming, all aimed at enriching the user experience. Instagram also prioritizes user safety, enforcing child protection policies and privacy safeguards. It has emerged as a crucial component in digital marketing, with advertising campaigns and influencer collaboration tactics.

Instagram (Wikipedia)

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.

Instagram
Original author(s)
Developer(s)Meta Platforms
Initial releaseOctober 6, 2010; 13 years ago (2010-10-06)
Operating system
Available in32 languages
LicenseProprietary software with Terms of Use
Websiteinstagram.com

Instagram was originally distinguished by allowing content to be framed only in a square (1:1) aspect ratio of 640 pixels to match the display width of the iPhone at the time. In 2015, this restriction was eased with an increase to 1080 pixels. It also added messaging features, the ability to include multiple images or videos in a single post, and a Stories feature—similar to its main competitor Snapchat—which allowed users to post their content to a sequential feed, with each post accessible to others for 24 hours. As of January 2019, Stories is used by 500 million people daily.

Originally launched for iOS in October 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, Instagram rapidly gained popularity, with one million registered users in two months, 10 million in a year, and 1 billion by June 2018. In April 2012, Facebook Inc. acquired the service for approximately US$1 billion in cash and stock. The Android version of Instagram was released in April 2012, followed by a feature-limited desktop interface in November 2012, a Fire OS app in June 2014, and an app for Windows 10 in October 2016. As of October 2015, over 40 billion photos had been uploaded. Although often admired for its success and influence, Instagram has also been criticized for negatively affecting teens' mental health, its policy and interface changes, its alleged censorship, and illegal and inappropriate content uploaded by users.


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