Location Location Location: Instagrams new feature raises privacy concerns

Instagram now lets users share their real-time location via an in-app map. This move sparks safety concerns among data privacy experts and users.

Why it matters:

• According to Meta your precise real-time “location is updated whenever you open or return to the app”
• Australia’s eSafety Commission suggests that location-sharing capabilities are Attitudes that normalize tech-based coercive control
• 63.9% of the global population, or 5.24 billion people, are active on social media. This is a lot of data for companies to own.
• “Social media platforms are built on excessive collection, algorithmic processing, and commercial exploitation of users’ personal data.” according to EPIC. This is partly why the Instagram Map is raising privacy concerns among users.
  
  What next:
• Users can keep the feature “off by default.” if they have privacy concerns.
• Instagram faces many legal challenges related to user privacy. Will this feature be the next?