Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri and Instagram’s social media team refute claims that the Instagram app is tracking location data and sharing it with followers looking for your exact location.
A viral post claims a “recent iOS update” allows “people to now find your exact location from Instagram”. This prompted many to go into their phone’s Instagram app settings and disable the app’s location permissions.
Instagram’s Comms Twitter posts about viral posts clarifying Instagram’s location data policy.
Wanted to share this for clarity 🧵. Location Services is a device setting on your phone, not a new Instagram feature that supports things like location tags. We do not share your location with others. https://t.co/6R6XMOCppj
— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) August 25, 2022
People can manage location services through their device settings and if they want to share this information on their posts Mark the location.
— Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) August25, 2022
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri explained that Instagram’s device location feature supports location tags, but the app doesn’t show the user’s location with other people.
Viral Instagram posts are not always the best place to find reliable information – information verification is in order. The original post never mentioned whether such a location feature was made by Instagram, referring baselessly to “a recent iOS update.”
If you are concerned that an app is using your location, you should disable it from your device’s app settings. Both iOS and Android offer the option to share approximate location (rather than pinpoint location), and both can record historical logs of which apps are accessing location data.
Via | Viral Post (Update Title)
