LONDON – Photo and video sharing platform Instagram launched new Map feature that shows users’ last known location to their friends, sparking controversy and raising privacy alarms among many users and safety advocates.
The feature designed to help people stay connected, shows where you were last active on app, sharing this information with close friends or mutual followers. While Meta owned Instagram insist feature is safe and entirely opt-in, turned off by default with added protections for teens and parental alerts—many users remain uneasy.
Contrasting reports surfaced appearing on Map without ever activating feature, fueling fears of glitches or potential privacy loopholes. Instagram head Adam Mosseri sought to reassure users, clearing the air that location sharing only occurs if a user chooses to enable it.
Unlike live tracking apps, Instagram’s Map does not follow users in real time but logs last place they opened app. Still, critics argue that broadcasting precise location and activity time can be unsettling and potentially dangerous, especially for vulnerable groups.
Users who prefer to keep their whereabouts private are advised to disable the Map feature in Instagram settings to avoid unwanted location sharing.
As digital platforms increasingly push location-sharing tools, this latest update highlights ongoing tensions between connectivity and privacy in social media.
