Instagram’s new location-sharing feature sparks privacy concerns among users

After the new grid layout update, Instagram has once again come up with a location-sharing feature that garnered frowns from its users as it risks their privacy and safety.

With this location-sharing feature, a user’s location is easily visible to their followers, which poses the risk of unwanted tracking, even if these followers are trusted people. Location is such a crucial part of one’s privacy and it should be consensual if one agrees to share such details. With this new update, followers can visibly look for the specific location of a user laid out on a map as well as in their feed and chat messaging.

Instagram has also laid out options on whom the user chooses to share their location with, whether with all of their followers, mutual friends, or selected accounts. Once a user allows the app to access location settings, “precise location updates” will be made available every time the Instagram app is in use.

IG Feature

Meanwhile, even if a user decides to turn off location services, the app claims, “We use things like your IP address to estimate your general location.” Despite these laid out options, Instagram clearly still has access to one’s location as they claim that it will be used to also “personalize content.”

With rising concerns about their online privacy, social media users have expressed their disconcertment over the new update and are quick to remind everyone to be vigilant about managing privacy settings.

When opting not to share location, at the Instagram message tab, locate the map icon beside the notes area. Once a pop-up appears asking to share location, choose “not now” or toggle the invisible mode to hide location from other followers. To further safeguard your location privacy, navigate through your phone’s settings app, go to the privacy tab, locate Instagram, and customize what type of location access you would want to grant the app.

As social media become an integral part of communication and interaction, it is crucial to remain vigilant especially when various applications, such as the case of Instagram, subject users to terms and conditions that might not be agreeable on the user’s end. Privacy, especially in terms of location, should never be endangered especially without a user’s consent.

 

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