Instagram Maps feature raises privacy concerns among some users

The rollout of a new Instagram Map has prompted confusion among some users of the app, who voiced their privacy concerns online after Meta unveiled the feature

The rollout of a new Instagram Map has prompted confusion among some users of the app, who voiced their privacy concerns online after Meta unveiled the feature.

The purpose of the maps feature, according to a press release from Meta, is to provide a “lightweight” method for users to connect with each other and explore local happenings by allowing people to share where they are in real time. Users can access their “maps” by going to their DMs.

When users click on the map, it shows the geolocation of users who have opted into sharing their location, based on the last time they opened Instagram or shared an Instagram story. When users first open the map, they are prompted with options of “who can see your location,” allowing them to choose whether or not they want to share their location.

After the feature was unveiled on Wednesday, users began sharing screenshots of what the map looks like on their pages. A handful of posts criticizing the feature have amassed hundreds of thousands of views as they circulate across X, Threads, TikTok and Instagram itself. Some of the most viral posts were from people like influencer and “Bachelor” franchise alum Kelley Flanagan, who issued a warning to people online to turn their location-sharing off, suggesting it could be a risk to their privacy and safety.

“Meta has a poor track record when it comes to data privacy,” Lia Haberman, author of the social media newsletter ICYMI, told NBC News in an email interview.