Instagram Maps Feature Raises Privacy Concerns Among Some Users

The rollout of a caller Instagram Map has prompted disorder among immoderate users of nan app, who voiced their privateness concerns online aft Meta unveiled nan feature.

The intent of nan maps feature, according to a property merchandise from Meta, is to supply a “lightweight” method for users to link pinch each different and research section happenings by allowing group to stock wherever they are successful existent time. Users tin entree their “maps” by going to their DMs.

When users click connected nan map, it shows nan geolocation of users who person opted into sharing their location, based connected nan past clip they opened Instagram aliases shared an Instagram story. When users first unfastened nan map, they are prompted pinch options of “who tin spot your location,” allowing them to take whether aliases not they want to stock their location.

After nan characteristic was unveiled connected Wednesday, users began sharing screenshots of what nan representation looks for illustration connected their pages. A fistful of posts criticizing nan feature person amassed hundreds of thousands of views arsenic they move crossed X, Threads, TikTok and Instagram itself. Some of nan astir viral posts were from group for illustration influencer and “Bachelor” franchise alum Kelley Flanagan, who issued a informing to group online to move their location-sharing off, suggesting it could beryllium a consequence to their privateness and safety.

“Meta has a mediocre way grounds erstwhile it comes to information privacy,” Lia Haberman, writer of nan societal media newsletter ICYMI, told NBC News successful an email interview.

The Instagram representation is disposable astatine nan apical of users' DM inbox. Courtesy Meta

Just this week, Haberman noted that a California assemblage ruled Meta violated nan state’s Invasion of Privacy Act successful a lawsuit involving nan period-tracking app Flo. (A Meta spokesperson told CNBC that nan institution disagreed pinch nan ruling.)

“User information is Meta’s aureate goose, it’s what they’ve been capable to waste to advertisers for years — mostly ethically and legally but not always,” Haberman said.

Meta emphasized that “location sharing is disconnected unless you opt in. If you do stock your location pinch friends, you person controls to customize this experience.” Users tin prime circumstantial followers who spot their location, aliases those connected their “close friends” list.

Instagram caput Adam Mosseri doubled down connected that sentiment, penning successful a Threads station that he uses “the representation to stock what I’m up to pinch a fistful of my closest friends, and I curate that database carefully.”

Still, Haberman said, she’s concerned that users won’t recognize nan afloat grade of what they’ve provided Instagram entree to, aliases erstwhile their location mightiness show up connected nan map, done tagging places successful their posts aliases conscionable opening nan app.

The level is not nan first to present specified location-sharing capabilities. Many young societal media users person utilized a akin characteristic connected nan app Snapchat, wherever “Snap Map” has been successful spot since June 2017. Some societal media users also likened Instagram Maps to nan once-popular FourSquare Swarm app, which allowed users to “check-in” to their favourite places, observe caller spots and enactment connected pinch friends.

In caller years, Instagram and different societal media platforms person faced scrutiny from lawmakers and organizations astir online safety, peculiarly astir teen users.

With Maps, Meta says that its supervision features let parents to beryllium notified erstwhile a teen starts sharing their location, and tin move their teen’s entree disconnected to nan characteristic astatine immoderate time, if they usage Meta’s parental controls. (Though galore teens support accounts hidden from their parents.)

Common Sense Media, a group that studies nan effect of media and exertion connected kids and families, published a study successful 2023 that recovered that location-sharing connected societal media platforms, which it defined arsenic “automatic sharing of users’ locations,” had 2 imaginable antagonistic experiences for young female users. There are “concerns astir safety,” nan group wrote, arsenic good arsenic nan “Fear of missing retired (“FOMO”) aliases societal exclusion” among users. But nan affirmative effect could beryllium “Social connection.”

Still, “girls were astir apt to opportunity that location-sharing (45%) and nationalist accounts (33%) person had a mostly antagonistic effect connected them, compared to different features,” nan study found.

In 2024, aft news outlets first reported connected Instagram’s plans to create a “Friend Map,” respective lawmakers issued concerns astir really this type of characteristic could origin harm to younger users.

“Instagram’s projected characteristic will require nan search of young group and their devices’ locations,” Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., and Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., wrote successful a May 21, 2024 missive to Mosseri, calling geolocation surveillance of minors “an unnecessary usurpation of privacy.”

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., besides responded to nan “Friend Map” improvement reports past year, writing successful an X station successful March, “We should beryllium doing each we tin to protect our kids’ information connected societal media — not exposing their real-time location to pedophiles and traffickers.”

Blackburn raised akin concerns astir Snap Map successful 2019, writing successful a missive to CEO Evan Spiegel that “if location is near successful nationalist mode, Snap Map tin uncover nan location of gullible kid users to complete strangers, on pinch their Snap video feed.”

At a Senate proceeding successful 2021, Jennifer Stout, vice president of world nationalist argumentation for Snap Inc., said nan app “makes it intentionally difficult for strangers to find group that they don’t know. We do not person unfastened profiles, we do not person browsable pictures. We don’t person nan expertise to understand who people’s friends are and wherever they spell to school.”

Representatives from Blackburn, Castor and Trahan’s offices did not instantly respond to a petition for remark connected Thursday regarding Instagram’s charismatic motorboat of their caller feature.

Many Instagram users said they interest that nan caller characteristic could besides put different susceptible groups astatine consequence — including creators, who person very nationalist personas, and women, who often look harassment online.

“When you’re perpetually broadcasting wherever you are successful existent time, you’re sharing your regular routines,” Caitlin Sarian, known to her 1.4 cardinal Instagram followers arsenic cybersecuritygirl, said successful a video station connected Wednesday. “... wherever you live, wherever you work, virtually everything astir you to imaginable hackers, stalkers, bad exes, each of nan above.”

Another creator, known arsenic Nerdytravelingwriter connected TikTok, echoed akin concerns successful a video posted connected Wednesday, calling it a “safety issue.”

“Think of really galore creators person stalkers,” nan creator, who has complete 895,000 followers connected TikTok said. “I’m reasoning of my followers who conscionable sewage retired of abusive relationships. They’re still mutuals pinch their abusers.”

Instagram’s thief halfway does statement that users are capable to hide their locations successful nan representation characteristic from specific accounts if they choose, which could thief those who cognize which profiles whitethorn want to usage nan accusation for malicious purposes.

“If you spot that you’ve shared your location successful nan past pinch Instagram via telephone settings, it does NOT mean nan representation characteristic is turned connected automatically aliases that group tin spot your location,” nan level wrote successful its Instagram story. “The logic you’re seeing your story, station aliases reel show up connected nan representation is because you’ve tagged it pinch a location. It will look connected nan representation for 24 hours and does not stock your real-time aliases unrecorded location.”

When asked for remark connected nan concerns, a Meta spokesperson reiterated Instagram’s policy, stating that nan Map characteristic “is disconnected by default, and your unrecorded location is ne'er shared unless you take to move it on. If you do, only group you travel backmost — aliases a private, civilization database you prime — tin spot your location.”

Haberman, who was among those posting astir nan caller Instagram news connected Threads, suggested 1 of nan main reasons Instagram’s characteristic is being met pinch immoderate disapproval is because it came arsenic a astonishment to users.

“That’s good for thing pinch nary stakes,” she said. “but a representation of people’s locations has a very existent world impact. More attraction should person been taken.”