New ick unlocked: People are paying for blue ticks on Instagram. Avid Instagrammers will have noticed the surge of blue ticks taking over the platform, leaving people confused as to how their friend become an overnight internet sensation. As exciting as that would be, it's sadly not the case. Instead, people are using their hard-earned money for a blue badge. For the blissfully unaware, Instagram followed in the footsteps of Twitter recently by offering a monthly subscription service from £9.99 a month. Let's break this down: Public figures Instagram offer free blue tick verification to public figures including professionals, journalists, influencers, celebrities and brands who meet the platform's account and eligibility requirements. Their accounts must be authentic, unique, complete and notable, meaning they "must represent a well-known, highly searched for person, brand or entity". "We review accounts that are featured in multiple news sources, and we don't consider paid or sponsored media content as sources for review," Instagram said. Once verified, public figures, celebrities and brands that meet certain account and eligibility requirements may not change their username on their account – nor can it be transferred to a different account. On the flip side, there's 'Meta Verified', the new subscription model that allows any Instagram user to pay monthly for a tick. As it stands, Instagram has used the same colour and design for both paying users and notable figures, making it difficult for users to set the two apart. Whether or not they will make the two more identifiable in the future is unclear. Meta Verified / paying subscribers Now, anyone can apply to be verified using their ID and a spare £10 a month. Meta suggests it's to help people have more protection from impersonation and give them access to a "real person" if they encounter any issues. Indy100 reached out to Instagram for comment. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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You are breaking the law if you use the phone numbers of customers to ask them out or proposition them, the information watchdog has warned as it vowed to crack down on “text pests”. Research from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) found that around one in three 18 to 34-year-olds say they had been victims of the practice. When you give your phone number, email address or other contact details to a business, you have a right to expect it not to be used for non-business purposes. There may be, amongst some, an outdated notion that to use someone’s personal details given to you in a business context to ask them out is romantic or charming. Put quite simply, it is not – it is against the law Emily Keaney, ICO The research for the ICO by Savanta, which polled 2,289 UK adults between July 28-31, found that two thirds of people think the use of personal information to make romantic or sexual propositions is morally wrong, while only 5% think it is morally right. However, only 56% of people think it is illegal, compared with 9% who think it is legal. “People have the right to order a pizza, or give their email for a receipt, or have shopping delivered, without then being asked for sex or a date a little while later,” said Emily Keaney, a deputy commissioner at the ICO. “They have a right to know that when they hand over their personal information, that it will not then be used in ways that they would not be comfortable with. “But our research today shows a disturbingly high number of people, particularly young people, are falling prey to these text pests.” “There may be, amongst some, an outdated notion that to use someone’s personal details given to you in a business context to ask them out is romantic or charming. Put quite simply, it is not – it is against the law.” The ICO is now urging victims to come forward to allow it to get a better idea of how widespread the practice is and what impact it has on victims. It will also be getting in touch with some of the UK’s biggest customer-facing employers to make sure they understand their responsibilities and to learn about their safeguards. “If you are running a customer-facing business, you have a responsibility to protect the data of your customers, including from your employees misusing it,” Ms Keaney said. “We are writing to major businesses, including in food and parcel delivery, to remind them that there are no excuses, and there can be no looking the other way. “We’ve launched this call for evidence today because we want to hear directly from the public how this misuse of personal information has affected them. As the data regulator, we can then use this to inform our work protecting the public.”

TOKYO & DURHAM, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 5, 2023--

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AHRENSBURG, Germany & FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 16, 2023--