Instagram is an online mobile photo-sharing, video-sharing and social

networking service that enables its users to take pictures and videos, and
share them on a variety of social networking platforms, such as Facebook,
Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr.[8 ! distinctive feature is that it con"nes photos to
a s#uare shape, similar to $odak Instamatic and %olaroid images, in contrast
to the &'( aspect ratio typically used by mobile device cameras. )sers can
also apply digital "lters to their images. The ma*imum duration for Instagram
videos is +, seconds.[-
Instagram was created by $evin .ystrom and /ike $rieger, and launched in
0ctober 12+2. The service rapidly gained popularity, with over +22 million
active users as of !pril 12+1.[+2[++ Instagram is distributed through the
!pple !pp .tore, 3oogle %lay, and 4indows %hone .tore.[+1 .upport for the
app is available for i%hone, i%ad, i%od Touch, and !ndroid handsets, while
third-party Instagram apps are available for 5lackberry +2 and 6okia-.ymbian
7evices.[+([+&
The service was ac#uired by Facebook in !pril 12+1 for appro*imately ).8+
billion in cash and stock.[+, In 12+(, Instagram grew by 1(9, while
Facebook, as the parent company, only grew by (9.[+:Instagram began
development in .an Francisco, )nited .tates ;)...<, when .ystrom and
5ra=ilian $rieger chose to focus their multi-featured >T/?, check-in pro@ect,
5urbn, on mobile photography.[+A[+8 The name BInstagramB is a
portmanteau of Binstant cameraB and BtelegramB.[+-
0n /arch ,, 12+2, .ystrom closed a ).8,22,222 seed funding round with
5aseline Centures and !ndreessen >orowit= while working on 5urbn.[12 Dosh
Eiedel then @oined the company as Fommunity /anager.[1+ .hayne
.weeney @oined in 6ovember 12+2 as an engineer and Dessica Gollman was
hired as a Fommunity Hvangelist in !ugust 12++.[11[1(
In Danuary 12++, Instagram added hashtags to help users discover both
photographs and each other.[1& Instagram encourages users to make tags
both speci"c and relevant, rather than tagging generic words like Bphoto,B to
make photographs stand out and to attract like-minded Instagram users.[1,
In .eptember, version 1.2 went live in the !pp .tore ;i0.< and included new
and live "lters, instant tiltIshift, high resolution photographs, optional
borders, one click rotation, and an updated icon.[1: 0n February 1, 12++, an
announcement revealed that Instagram had raised ).8A million in .eries !
funding from a variety of investors, including 5enchmark Fapital, Dack 7orsey,
Fhris .acca ;through Fapital fund<, and !dam 7J!ngelo.[1A The deal valued
Instagram at around 81, million.[18
0n !pril (, 12+1, Instagram was released for !ndroid phones running the 1.1
Froyo version of the 0.,[1- and it was downloaded more than one million
times in less than one day.[(2 That same week, Instagram raised ).8,2
million from venture capitalists for a share of the companyK the process
valued Instagram at ).8,22 million.[18 0ver the ne*t three months,
Instagram was rated more than one million times on 3oogle %lay[(+ and was
the "fth app to ever reach one million ratings on 3oogle %layLas of !pril
12+(, it had been rated nearly four million times.
!s part of its second largest ac#uisition deal to date, Facebook made an oMer
to purchase Instagram, along with its +( employees, for appro*imately ).8+
billion in cash and stock in !pril 12+1,[+, with a plan to keep the company
independently managed.[(1 5ritainJs 0Nce of Fair Trading approved the deal
on !ugust +&, 12+1,[(( and on !ugust 11, 12+1, the Federal Trade
Fommission in the )... closed its investigation, allowing the deal to proceed.
[(&[(, 0n .eptember :, 12+1, the deal between Instagram and Facebook
was oNcially closed.[(:
0n !pril +1, 12+1, Facebook ac#uired Instagram for appro*imately ).8+
billion in cash and stock.[(A[(8 The deal, which was made @ust prior to
FacebookJs scheduled I%0, cost about a #uarter of FacebookJs cash-on-hand,
according to "gures documented at the end of 12++. The deal was for a
company characteri=ed as having Blots of bu== but no business modelB, and
the price was contrasted with the ).8(, million OahooP paid for Flickr in
122,,[(1 a website that has since become among the ,2 most popular in the
world.[(-
/ark Guckerberg noted that Facebook was Bcommitted to building and
growing Instagram independentlyB, in contrast to its past practice.[(1
!ccording to multiple reports, the deal netted .ystrom ).8&22 million based
on his ownership stake in the business.[&2 The e*act purchase price was
).8(22 million in cash and 1( million shares of stock.[&+
0n 7ecember +A, 12+1, Instagram updated its Terms of .ervice, granting
itself the rightLstarting on Danuary +:, 12+(Lto sell usersJ photos to third
parties without noti"cation or compensation.[&1[&([&&[&, The criticism
from privacy advocates, consumers, the 6ational 3eographic .ociety,[&:
and celebrities like $im $ardashian[&A prompted Instagram to issue a
statement retracting the controversial termsK regardless, the issue resulted in
the loss of a portion of InstagramJs user-base, as former users switched to
other Instagram-like services, such as %heed, a multi-media social sharing
platform launched in 6ovember 12+1 that gained more new users than any
other app in the )... the week that Instagram changed its terms of service.
[&8 Flickr was another service that gained many new users following the
announcement[&-[,2[,+Lprior to the changes, Oahoo released a new
Flickr mobile app for i0., with built-in vintage "lters, to rival Instagram.[,1
[,([,& Instagram subse#uently began work on the development of a new
language to replace the disputed terms of use.[,,
In Danuary 12+(, it was con"rmed that Instagram has asked for photo
identi"cation as a form of veri"cation due to unspeci"ed violations.[,:
Following the appointment of Hmily 4hite to the position of chief operating
oNcer in /arch 12+(, 4hite stated in .eptember 12+( that the company
should be ready to begin selling advertising by .eptember 12+& as a way to
generate business from a popular entity that had not yet created pro"t for its
parent company.[,A In .eptember 12+(, Instagram reaNrmed its
commitment to free and open access to its smart-phone app for users.[,8
7uring an interview with 4omenJs 4ear 7aily ;447<, 4hite cited Bthe
sophistication of cameras on smartphones as one reason for ushering in the
transformative change,B and she used her observation of the replacement of
large cameras with mobile smartphones during a fashion show as an
e*ample.[,- 0n 0ctober (, 12+(, Instagram announced that it would be
adding advertising to its platform.[:2
0n 0ctober 11, 12+(, during the 6okia 4orld event, held at !bu 7habi,
)nited !rab Hmirates ;)!H<, .ystrom con"rmed the impending release of the
oNcial Instagram app for the 4indows %hone.[:+ 0n 6ovember 1+, 12+(,
the oNcial Instagram 5eta for 4indows %hone was released to 4indows
%hone 8 to allow 4indows %hone users faster access to Instagram servicesK
although, at the time of release, the app was still under development.[:1[:(
Instagram introduced sponsored post advertising targetting ). users in
6ovember 12+(,[:& and )$ users in .eptember 12+&.[:,[::
0n 7ecember +1, 12+(, Instagram added 7irect, a feature that allows users
to send photos to speci"c people directly from the app. InstagramJs primary
intention with the 7irect feature is to compete against messaging services,
including .napchat.[:A[:8
0n /arch ++, 12+&, Instagram released an updated !ndroid app with
performance improvements and a Qatter interface. The update was primarily
intended to reduce the appJs "le si=e and resource usage, and it was
optimi=ed for and tested on low-end smartphones sold in emerging markets,
such as the .amsung 3ala*y O, which was popular in 5ra=il at the time.[:-
The companyJs 3lobal >ead of 5usiness and 5rand 7evelopmentLa new
position for InstagramLwas announced in mid-!ugust 12+&. FacebookJs
former Eegional 7irector Dames Ruarles was assigned the role, which
manages InstagramSs revenue strategy, in addition to both the marketing and
sales teams. Ruarles will report directly to .ystrom during a tenure in which
he will develop new Tmoneti=ation products,U as e*plained by a company
representative to the media.[A2
.ince the appJs launch it had used the Fours#uare !%I to provide named
location tagging. In early 12+&, after being purchased by Facebook, the
company was switched to using Facebook %laces.[A+
%opularity
)sers
5y 7ecember 12+2, Instagram had + million registered users.[A1 In Dune
12++ Instagram announced it had , million users[A( and it passed +2 million
in .eptember of the same year.[A& In !pril 12+1, it was announced that over
(2 million accounts were set up on Instagram.[A,
Instagram announced that +22 million photographs had been uploaded to its
service as of Duly 12++. This total reached +,2 million in !ugust 12++.[A:[AA
5y /ay 12+1[A8 ,8 photographs were being uploaded and a new user was
being gained each second. The total number of photographs uploaded had
e*ceeded one billion.
There are basic Terms of )se that Instagram users must follow, including an
age re#uirement of +( years or older, restrictions against posting violent,
nude, partially nude, or se*ually suggestive photographs and responsibility
for oneJs account and all activity conducted with it.[A-
There are also proprietary rights in content on Instagram. Instagram does not
claim any ownership rights in the te*t, "les, images, photographs, video,
sounds, musical works, works of authorship, applications, or any other
materials ;collectively, content< that users post on or through the Instagram
.ervices.[A-
0n !ugust -, 12+1, Hnglish musician Hllie 3oulding came out with a new
music video for her song B!nything Fould >appenB. The video only contained
fan submitted Instagram photographs that used various Instagram "lters to
represent words or lyrics from the song[82 and over +122 diMerent
photographs were submitted.
0n February 1A, 12+(, Instagram announced +22 million active users, only
two-and-a-half years after the launch of the app.[8+ !s of .eptember -,
12+(, the company has announced a total of more than +,2 million monthly
active users.[,A
/any celebrities have pro"les on Instagram, sharing photos and videos of
their personal and professional lives with fans. .ome celebrities deleted their
accounts in response to InstagramJs proposed change to its Terms of .ervice,
which would have allowed the photo-sharing app to sell images to advertisers
without compensation to users.[81
Instagram was listed among TimeJs ,2 5est !ndroid !pplications for 12+(.
[8(
7emographics
InstagramJs users are divided e#ually with ,29 i%hone owners and ,29
!ndroid owners. 4hile instagram displays a neutral gender bias format, :89
of Instagram users are female while (19 are male. InstagramJs geographical
use is shown to favor urban areas as +A9 of ). adults who live in urban
areas use instagram while only ++9 of adults in suburban and rural areas.
4hile Instagram may appear to be one of the most widely used sites for
photo sharing, only A9 of daily photo uploads, among the top four photo-
sharing platforms, come from Instagram. Instagram has been proven to
attract the younger generation with -29 of the +,2 million users under the
age of (,. From Dune 12+1 to Dune 12+(, Instagram appro*imately doubled
their number of users. +,9 of users who make less than 8(2,222 per year
use Instagram while only +19 of users who make more than 8,2,222 per
year use Instagram.[8& 4ith respect to the education demographic,
respondents with some college education proved to be the most active on
Instagram with 1(9. Following behind, college graduates consist of +89 and
users with a high school diploma or less make up +,9. !mong these
Instagram users, 1&9 say they use the app several times a day.[8,
/ost popular accounts
!s of !ugust 12+&, the most popular +2 most followed Instagram accounts
are'[citation needed
Dustin 5ieber - 12,2A2,&A, followers
$im $ardashian - +A,-A,,-&-
5eyoncW $nowles - +:,+&(,8((
!riana 3rande - +&,A,8,(2-
.elena 3ome= - +(,&12,(:(
$endall Denner - +1,8&-,-(+
$hloe $ardashian - +1,1,:,1,2
/iley Fyrus - +1,2&8,,:&
$ylie Denner - ++,,2(,:A-
6eymar - +2,88+,,(+
Trends
4eekend >ashtag %ro@ect
The B4eekend >ashtag %ro@ectB is a series featuring designated themes and
hashtags chosen by InstagramJs Fommunity Team.[8: Followers receive the
weekendJs pro@ect every Friday, and each pro@ect encourages participants to
post creative photographs according to the designated theme each weekend.
[8:
Throwback Thursday
Throwback Thursday is a widely used trend on Instagram where users post
pictures from the past with the hashtag XT5T. This trend usually includes
pictures of usersJ early childhood, past special occasions, or monumental
events. This popular trend started in 12++ shortly after Instagram introduced
the capabilities of hashtags on pictures. >owever, according to 3oogle trends
throwback ThursdaySs popularity didnSt spike until February 12+1.[8A This
trend has reached popularity through celebrities such as $im $ardashian and
/olly .ims.[88
.el"es
.el"e, a self-portrait photograph typically taken with a cell phone or digital
camera, has become a trending topic on Instagram becoming the Tword of
the yearU by 0*ford 7ictionary in 6ovember 12+(. .el"es attract a wide
range of viewers as seen by the second most-liked picture on instagram from
Dustin 5ieberSs instagram account.[8- 5ieberSs sel"e with .elena 3ome=
ac#uired +.81 million likes. This trend has sparked interest within the music
industry as well with the debut of the song .el"e by The Fhainsmokers in
Danuary 12+&.
Features and tools
! photo collage of an unprocessed image ;top left< modi"ed with the +:
diMerent Instagram "lters available in 12++
!n original photograph ;left< is automatically cropped to a s#uare by
Instagram, and has a "lter added at the selection of the user ;right<
)sers can upload photographs and short videos, follow other usersJ feeds[-2
and geotag images with longitude and latitude coordinates, or the name of a
location. )sers can connect their Instagram account to other social
networking sites, which will enable the option to share uploaded photos to
those sites.[-2 !s of Dune 12+(, users can connect their accounts to
Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr.
In 12+1, Instagram created web pro"les which allows users to use their
Instagram account like a social media site. This gave users a web pro"le
featuring a selection of recently shared photographs, biographical
information, and other personal details. The web feed is a simpler version of
the phone app, mimicking the look and feel users are already accustomed to.
[-+
In 7ecember 12+(, Instagram added a feature named Instagram 7irect that
allows users to send photos only to a speci"c user or group of users, rather
than having it be viewable by all. This was viewed as a response to the
popularity of services like .napchat.[-1
H*plore Tab
The new e*plore tab was introduced in mid-12+1 in which 1+ photos are
featured when a user clicks the tab second from the left on the bottom bar of
the Instagram app. The photos must be of a public user whose pro"le is not
set to private. This section of Instagram is where users can search for speci"c
users or particular hashtags that interest them. The e*plore tab on the
popular social media application, Instagram, has sparked interest in many
users around the world. !ccording to the Instagram >elp Fenter,[-( they are
Talways working to update the types of posts you see in H*plore to better
tailor it to youU Instagram chooses photos they believe you would have
interest in and have a connection with. Instagram has said, T4e may show
you photos and videos that people you follow have liked or are liked by a
large number of people.U This means that not everyone sees the same photos
on the e*plore page and the photos are speci"cally chosen to "t your
personal interests and connections.
Filters
Instagram oMers a number of photographic "lters that users can apply to
their images'
6ormal' 6o "lter applied
+-AA' The increased e*posure with a red tint gives the photograph a rosy,
brighter, faded look.
!maro' !dds light to an image, with the focus on the centre.[-&
5rannan' Increases contrast and e*posure and adds a metallic tint.
Harlybird' 3ives photographs an older look with a sepia tint and warm
temperature.
>efe' >ight contrast and saturation, with a similar eMect to ?o-Fi but not #uite
as dramatic.
>udson' Freates an BicyB illusion with heightened shadows, cool tint and
dodged center.[-,
Inkwell' 7irect shift to black and white - no e*tra editing.
$elvin' Increases saturation and temperature to give it a radiant BglowB.[-:
?o-"' Hnriches color and adds strong shadows through the use of saturation
and BwarmingB the temperature.
/ayfair' !pplies a warm pink tone, subtle vignetting to brighten the
photograph center and a thin black border[-A
6ashville' 4arms the temperature, lowers contrast and increases e*posure to
give a light BpinkB tint - making it feel BnostalgicB.
Eise' !dds a BglowB to the image, with softer lighting of the sub@ect.
.ierra' 3ives a faded, softer look.
.utro' 5urns photo edges, increases highlights and shadows dramatically with
a focus on purple and brown colors.
Toaster' !ges the image by BburningB the centre and adds a dramatic
vignette.
Calencia' Fades the image by increasing e*posure and warming the colors, to
give it an anti#ue feel
4alden' Increases e*posure and adds a yellow tint.
4illow' ! monochromatic "lter with subtle purple tones and a translucent
white border.[-8
Y-%ro II' Increases color vibrance with a golden tint, high contrast and slight
vignette added to the edges.
?u*
Eecently Instagram has added a new feature when editing photographs. The
button with a picture of a sun is known as the ?u* eMect. This tool allows you
to #uickly ad@ust the e*posure and contrast through a simple +22-point slider.
This new version of editing allows you to control the brightness to the
saturation levels of each photograph.[--
Cideo
Initially a purely photo-sharing service, Instagram incorporated video sharing
in Dune 12+(, allowing its users to record and share videos lasting for up to +,
seconds.[- The addition was seen by some in the technology media as
FacebookJs attempt at competing with TwitterJs Cine video-sharing
application.[+22[+2+[+21[+2(
Fontroversy
Terms of use
0n 7ecember +A, 12+1 Instagram announced a change to its terms of use,
stating that Byou agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display
your username, likeness, photos ;along with any associated metadata<,
andZor actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or
promotions, without any compensation to youB.
There was no apparent option for users to opt out of the changed terms of
use without deleting their accounts,[+2& and the move garnered severe
criticism from privacy advocates as well as consumers.[citation needed !fter
one day, Instagram apologi=ed saying that it would remove the controversial
language from its terms of use.[+2, $evin .ystrom, a co-founder of
Instagram, responded to the controversy, stating,
0ur intention in updating the terms was to communicate that weJd like to
e*periment with innovative advertising that feels appropriate on Instagram.
Instead it was interpreted by many that we were going to sell your photos to
others without any compensation. This is not true and it is our mistake that
this language is confusing. To be clear' it is not our intention to sell your
photos. 4e are working on updated language in the terms to make sure this
is clear.[,,
Illicit drugs
The company acted #uickly in response to a 12+( investigation from the 55F
regarding the role of Instagram in sales of illicit drugs. The 55F discovered
that users, mostly located in the )., were posting images of drugs they were
selling and then completing transactions via instant messaging applications
such as 4hats!pp /essenger. Forresponding hashtags have been blocked as
part of the companyJs response and a spokesperson engaged with the 55F,
e*plaining'
Instagram has a clear set of rules about what is and isnJt allowed on the site.
4e encourage people who come across illegal or inappropriate content to
report it to us using the built-in reporting tools ne*t to every photo, video or
comment, so we can take action. %eople canJt buy things on Instagram, we
are simply a place where people share photos and videos.[+2:
Eelated products and services
+22 Fameras in + is an app available for i%hone users that provides additional
eMects for photos uploaded to Instagram.[+2A
Farousel, for /acs, provides a live feed of Instagram on the /ac.[+2A
3ramatica I app that gives Instagram users additional photo album options,
such as' pinchZ=oom, hide photo, and create lists.
>yperlapse ;app< - an app that allows users to create digitally stabili=ed time-
lapse videos.[+28
Iconos#uare is a free app that provides personal statistics related to
Instagram, including number of followers, likes, and comments, along with
usage statistics.[+2A
Instagram [ %rinting I Instaprint oMers a device which can be rented for
social gatherings that allows users to print photographs on Instagram.[+2A
%rintsgram allows a userJs Instagram collection to be printed as a poster or
stickers.[+2A
Instamap is an app available for i%ad that allows users of Instagram to "nd
photos based on their location or a hashtag. Eesults can be displayed in a
gallery or linked to a map.[+2A
%icf* - a photography app that provides over +22 eMects, te*tures and frames
and allows you to share your "nished photo on social networks
%rintic oMers one of the easiest ways to print and share Instagram pictures
from an i%hone. %ictures come in a vintage (*& inches ;A.:1*+2.+: cm<
format, with an orange envelope and a message for the recipient.[+2A
.ocialmatic I a graphic design "rm in Italy created a prototype for a physical
digital camera, called the .ocialmatic, with the housing designed to look like
the Instagram icon. The camera is designed with +: 35 of storage, 4i-Fi and
5luetooth capability, the ability to interface with the Instagram app, and the
ability to produce color prints. The pro@ect ;apparently neither related to, nor
oNcially commissioned or approved by, Instagram< seeks crowdfunding via
Indiegogo, in order to be made available as a product.[+2-[++2
!wards
Instagram was the runner-up for B5est /obile !ppB at the 12+2 TechFrunch
Frunchies in Danuary 12++.[+++ In /ay 12++, Fast Fompany listed FH0 $evin
.ystrom at number :: in the BThe +22 /ost Freative %eople in 5usiness in
12++B.[++1 In Dune 12++, Inc. included co-founders .ystrom and $rieger in its
12++ B(2 )nder (2B list.[++(
Instagram won B5est ?ocally /ade !ppB in the .F 4eekly 4eb !wards in
.eptember 12++.[++& A*A/aga=ineJs .eptember 12++ issue featured
.ystrom and $rieger on the cover of their TThe >ot 12 12++U issue.[++, In
7ecember 12++, !pple Inc. named Instagram B!pp of the OearB for 12++.
[++: