Instagram users can now apply to receive a verified tick for their profiles – but will only get it if they are "notable".

It comes as the company introduces a handful of new tools to help keep the platform safe, including two-factor authentication (2FA).

The blue verified badges are "an important way for you to know that the account you are interacting with is the authentic presence of a notable public figure, celebrity, global brand or entity", according to Instagram.

"Today we are enabling a new way for accounts that reach large audiences and meet our criteria to request verification through a form within the Instagram app," the company said.

So what makes an account likely to be verified? Well, reaching "large audiences" it seems – although a large follower count alone won't let you make the cut.

Instagram said it reviews accounts which are "featured in multiple news sources" to ensure their authenticity.

At the moment, Instagram celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Cristiano Ronaldo have the verified badge, but not everybody notable does.

Popular accounts such as Cash Cats, which posts pictures of cats cuddling money, would not meet Instagram's standards for verification as they don't depict a single person's identity or a business brand.

The company will review verification requests "to confirm the authenticity, uniqueness, completeness and notability of each account".

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To access the verification request form, users should go to their profiles and tap the menu icon.

They can then select "settings" at the bottom of the menu and choose "request verification".

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