David Bridges
That situation escalated quickly.
Following the announcement of Instagram’s innovative Friend Map feature just yesterday, the platform has been inundated with misinformed complaints and worries regarding how this new functionality could potentially expose users’ locations without their consent, thereby placing millions at risk.
To summarize, Instagram’s newly introduced Friend Map feature will allow users to see where their friends are located at any given moment, in addition to showcasing places their friends have visited through location-tagged Stories they share. This feature draws similarities to the Snap Map from Snapchat; however, Snapchat has a smaller user base and consequently did not experience the same level of backlash as Instagram is currently facing. Many users are expressing concerns that such location sharing could be unsafe, potentially putting individuals in harm’s way.
It’s crucial to highlight that this feature is entirely opt-in, meaning it is not activated for any user without their explicit consent.
As detailed in the announcement made by Instagram:
“You can opt into sharing your last active location with friends you select, and you have the option to deactivate this feature at any time. Additionally, you can access the map to discover content your friends and favorite creators are posting from exciting locations. Regardless of how you choose to utilize the map, it provides you and your friends with a new, lightweight method of connecting with one another.”
It’s essential to pay attention to the initial statement, which emphasizes that “you can opt in” to share your location; however, this is not mandatory, and your location will remain hidden unless you actively choose to enable it.
However, the phrasing may have caused confusion, prompting Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, to clarify this point further:
“Your location will only be shared *if* you choose to share it, and if you do, it can only be shared with a limited group of people you select. Initially, location sharing is *completely off.* If you choose to share your location, you can designate a custom list, your Close Friends list, or followers you mutually follow.”
Thus, the platform is not indiscriminately revealing your whereabouts to the entire world, nor is it showcasing what you are doing at all times.
Additionally, Mosseri has elaborated on the procedure for sharing locations within Stories:
“If you tag a location in your story, that story will appear on the map for a duration of 24 hours. As with all Stories, this only displays the tagged place to your followers, and it does not disclose your real-time or live location.”
Some users have reported that location services were enabled by default, leading to their location being visible within the app. However, this is a manual setting, and the only scenario where this would be activated is if users had previously permitted it for Instagram’s other location-tagging features or if they shared a Story publicly. In that case, as Mosseri mentions, the map would display the location of that Story to your connections, but not your live location.
Therefore, it is possible that you might appear on the Instagram map without having manually activated the feature specifically for that purpose. Nevertheless, you also have the capability to disable location sharing, both through the app and your device settings.
Instagram has incorporated additional privacy features as well, including an option to conceal specific locations from the map, even if you are sharing your information:
To clarify further, you are not broadcasting your location to every user on Instagram, and you maintain complete control over this feature, allowing you to turn it off whenever you wish. The Friend Map sharing option is not activated by default; the only way to enable it is through manual selection.
If you find this feature undesirable, simply refrain from using it, and your location will remain private within the app.
Cameron Steel
Maya Kensington
