Instagram announced it is testing changes that could make it easier for users to regain access to hacked accounts, as well as security features that could make it harder to steal Instagram usernames in the first place.
The news comes after a wave of Instagram users have faced issues getting back into their locked accounts. In some cases reported by Motherboard, hacked victims even turned to third-party white-hat hackers to help them recover access to their Instagram after becoming frustrated with the company’s lack of customer support.
“We know that losing access to your account can be a distressing experience. We have measures in place to stop accounts from being hacked in the first place, as well as measures to help people recover their accounts. But we heard from the community that these measures aren’t enough, and people are struggling to regain access to their accounts,” an Instagram spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
This new method would ensure that you could recover your account even if an intruder has changed the user name and contact data. To that end, Instagram is offering a safeguard that ensures a user name can’t be claimed for a “period of time” after account changes, whether it’s a hack or a voluntary change.
It’s not certain when the in-app recovery will be widely available, although the user name lockdown is available to all Android users now and deploying to iOS users. However, the goal of the new recovery process is clear — Instagram is hoping that you can eventually recover an account entirely within the app, rather than leaning on the security team.
The timing could be vital. Instagram account security has been a sore point as of late with word of exposed passwords and growing intrusion attempts. This won’t prevent account hijacks, but it could discourage perpetrators hoping to take advantage of vulnerabilities in the current recovery approach.
