New Instagram Map Feature: Privacy Controversy and Concerns

Instagram recently launched a new map feature that allows users to share their "last active location" with a selected group of followers. This feature, which is very similar to Snapchat's map functionality, has sparked widespread controversy and significant privacy concerns among users and some legislators.

How the Feature Works and Privacy Control Options

Meta, Instagram's parent company, emphasizes that the map feature is "disabled by default," and your live location is never shared unless you choose to activate it. Users are given full control over who can see their location, allowing them to choose between sharing it with all friends (followers you follow back), a "Close Friends" list, specific users, or not sharing it with anyone at all.

If location sharing is activated, your location is updated every time you open the app or when it runs in the background. However, it's important to note that this feature does not provide continuous updates in real-time, unlike Snapchat's map, which offers both options.

Reactions and Common Misconceptions

Despite Meta's continuous reassurances, this feature has generated a backlash and significant concerns among users and a number of legislators. A large part of this concern stems from misunderstanding and confusion, as some users mistakenly believe their locations are being shared automatically without their explicit consent.

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, clarified that this confusion might arise from users seeing stories or reels that contain geo-location tags, leading them to assume it's live location sharing. It is essential to differentiate between location tags in posts and stories, which appear on the map for 24 hours and do not reveal the user's actual or live location, and live location sharing through the new map feature.

Potential Risks and Parental Safety Features

Potential risks raised include concerns about stalking, sextortion, and unwanted interactions, in addition to the risk that younger users might face if their location is precisely identified.

To address these concerns, Meta indicates that parental supervision features allow parents to receive notifications when their teenage children start sharing their locations and give them the ability to disable their children's access to this feature at any time.