Instagram boss says users are confused by new location sharing tool amid stalking concerns

India Today

4 days ago

Instagram's latest update was meant to make it easier for friends to find each other, but it's ended up making some users feel a little too easy to find. The photo-sharing app has recently rolled out Instagram Map, a new location-sharing feature buried inside the direct messages tab. Meta, Instagram's parent company, pitched it as a 'lightweight' way for people to connect with pals and discover what's happening nearby. In practice? It shows exactly where people are, in real time, if they've chosen to share their whereabouts.advertisementOpening the map reveals the locations of anyone who's opted in, based either on their last Instagram activity or the most recent Story they posted. First-time users are met with a prompt asking who can see their location, with options ranging from 'no one' to 'close friends' to 'followers you select.'On paper, it's a gentle nudge towards local discovery. In reality, it's sparked a mini privacy panic. Within hours of launch on Wednesday, screenshots of the map flooded X, Threads, TikTok and Instagram itself. Some posts racked up hundreds of thousands of views, particularly from influencers and celebrities warning followers to check their settings.
One of the loudest voices was Bachelor alum and lifestyle influencer Kelley Flanagan, who bluntly urged people to 'turn off' the feature, hinting it could open the door to unwanted tracking or even stalking.Social media commentator Lia Haberman, who writes the popular ICYMI newsletter, told NBC News she wasn't surprised by the backlash. 'Meta doesn't have the shiniest history when it comes to protecting user privacy,' she said, noting that only days earlier, a California jury found Meta had violated the state's Invasion of Privacy Act in a case tied to the Flo period-tracking app. (Meta has said it disagrees with the ruling.)'User data is the company's golden goose,' Haberman added. 'They've built an empire selling it to advertisers, usually within legal boundaries, but not always.'Meta, for its part, insists the new map is safe by design. 'Location sharing is off unless you actively switch it on,' the company said in a statement, adding that users can tightly control who sees them, from hand-picking followers to limiting it to a curated 'close friends' list.Instagram chief Adam Mosseri also tried to calm nerves in a Threads post. He said he personally uses the map to let a small, carefully chosen group of friends know what he's up to, and encouraged others to be equally selective.But Haberman worries the real risk lies in what users don't realise they've shared. Even if they never manually switch on the map, she warned, their location could still pop up through tagged posts, Stories, or simply by opening the app while the feature is active.advertisementIf the concept sounds familiar, that's because it is. Snapchat has had its Snap Map since 2017, letting users track friends' locations in near real-time. Older social media veterans compared Instagram's version to the once-popular FourSquare Swarm, which revolved around 'checking in' to places, finding new hangouts and seeing who was nearby.Still, in today's climate of heightened data privacy awareness, Instagram's timing feels bold. The idea of your movements being visible to others, even with controls, can easily tip from 'fun' to 'creepy,' especially for women, public figures and younger users.How to switch it offTo disable Instagram's location sharing, head to the settings and click on "Story, live and location". Once the map view opens, select the settings icon in the top-right corner. Under the 'Who can see your location' option, choose 'No one', then tap 'Done' to save your changes.Parents who have set up Instagram's supervision tools for teens also have a say. They'll be notified if their child enables location sharing, can approve or block it, and can even see who the teen is sharing their location with.- Ends