Everyone with a blue checkmark, after realizing that their comments would be prominently displayed, had an incentive to comment more. The comment ranking helped brands, influencers, and Hollywood types fight their deprioritization by the main algorithm. Instagram commenting became marketing, or, in the vernacular of Silicon Valley engineers, “growth hacking.” The “hacking” didn’t end there. The most strategic Insta-famous weren’t just commenting on their friends’ posts, but on accounts that might make them seem more well-connected and relevant than they actually were. One influencer with a
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