Oops! Did Instagram Just Broadcast Your Address?

In a move that feels less like innovation and more like a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek, Instagram recently rolled out a new location-sharing feature. While the idea is supposed to help friends find “cool spots” and connect with each other, it has caused a digital panic attack for users who discovered their exact location, including their home address, was being broadcast to their followers without their explicit consent.

The location feature isn’t a new concept. Snapchat has had something similar for years. But for many Instagram users, this felt like a massive privacy breach. The backlash was swift, with reality TV star Kelley Flanagan calling the feature “dangerous” in a viral TikTok video.

In response, Instagram’s chief, Adam Mosseri, quickly jumped on Threads to clarify. He stated that the feature is off by default and that users must opt-in to share their location with a chosen group of people. While this might sound reassuring, it highlights a recurring issue with big tech: burying potentially sensitive settings in a way that makes it easy for users to unknowingly activate them.

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This incident also comes on the heels of a federal jury ruling against Meta (Instagram’s parent company) for allegedly exploiting health data from the Flo app for targeted advertising. This history of privacy issues adds fuel to the fire, leaving many to wonder if these “accidental” privacy breaches are really accidents at all.

So, what could possibly go wrong in a world where our personal data is a valuable commodity? A feature designed for connection can quickly become a tool for surveillance.