Instagram: Difference between revisions

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Instagram has been scrutinized for many consumer violations revolving around the extent of its data collection<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cuthberson |first=Anthony |date=18 Mar 2021 |title=Instagram is ‘most invasive app’, new study shows |url=https://www.the-independent.com/tech/instagram-invasive-app-privacy-facebook-b1818453.html |url-status=live |access-date=17 Mar 2025 |website=Independent}}</ref> and the use of said data.

==Consumer-protection profile==

 

*On signup, Instagram collects details such as the user's name, email, phone number, and profile information.<ref name=":0">[https://help.instagram.com/155833707900388?utm_source=chatgpt.com Privacy Policy]</ref>

*Instagram is granted a license to use, distribute, modify, run, copy, display, and create derivative works of uploaded content.<ref name=":1">[https://help.instagram.com/581066165581870/ Terms of Service]</ref>

==Consumer-protection incidents==

===Introduction of maps feature (Aug. 2025)===

On August 6, 2025, Instagram introduced two features in their app; reposts and the map, with the latter being heavily clarified the feature is opt-in.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/instagram-new-features-connect-friends/|title=New Features to Help You Connect With Friends|work=Instagram|date=2025-08-06|access-date=2025-08-11|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251212011801/https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/instagram-new-features-connect-friends|archive-date=12 Dec 2025|url-status=live}}</ref> Many of its users have voiced concerns with the feature being implemented, as some say their location was enabled without their knowledge.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-09/instagram-location-sharing-feature-is-raising-privacy-concerns/105632212|title=Instagram's new location-sharing feature is raising privacy concerns|first1=Sohani|last1=Goonetillake|first2=Lewis|last2=Wiseman|date=2025-08-09|work=ABC News Australia|access-date=2025-08-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250809151515/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-09/instagram-location-sharing-feature-is-raising-privacy-concerns/105632212|archive-date=2025-08-09|url-status=live}}</ref> Other users have demanded Instagram to remove the feature altogether on the company's posts, citing the creepiness and danger posed to younger users and women.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNBlO9_SVey/|title=Music: ON. World: OFF.⁣ #InTheMoment|date=2025-08-06|work=Instagram|archive-url=https://archive.ph/Jh8sm|archive-date=2025-08-08|url-status=live}}</ref> Privacy-focused users have suggested those with Instagram to disable Instagram's location services altogether through the phone's settings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/1mjqyym/instagram_update_now_shares_your_live_location/|title=Instagram update now shares your live location unless you disable it|author=u/SideHonest9960|date=2025-08-07|work=Reddit|access-date=2025-08-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260222222254/https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/1mjqyym/instagram_update_now_shares_your_live_location/|archive-date=22 Feb 2026|url-status=live}}</ref>

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Instagram already had a "photo map" feature in its early years, which was removed in 2016.<ref>[https://thinkmarketingmagazine.com/instagram-killing-photo-maps-feature/ Instagram killing “photo maps” feature]</ref>

===Instagram shows gore and violence videos to select users (Feb. 2025)===

In what Instagram calls an "error", some users were shown videos of graphic death scenes and animal abuse in their Reels feed for about a day.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Milmo |first=Dan |date=2025-02-28 |title=Meta apologises over flood of gore, violence and dead bodies on Instagram |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/feb/28/meta-apologises-over-flood-of-gore-violence-and-dead-bodies-on-instagram |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=February 27, 2025 |title=Meta apologizes, fixes glitch that caused violent video recommendations on Reels |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/27/tech/meta-apologizes-glitch-violent-reels}}</ref>

This also serves as an example for the kind of content Meta staff has to review when flagged and raises questions about the mental health impact watching this type of content all day has on the workers tasked with content moderation.<ref>{{Cite news |title=‘It scars you for life’: Workers sue Meta claiming viewing brutal videos caused psychological trauma |url=https://www.euronews.com/2023/10/19/it-scars-you-for-life-workers-sue-meta-claiming-viewing-brutal-videos-caused-psychological}}</ref>

===Instagram allows AI to be trained on user data (Mar. 2023)===

In March 2023, Instagram updated its Terms of Service to allow them to use collected data to train artificial intelligence.<ref name=":1" /> This data includes uploaded photos and videos and the creators were not given compensation. This new TOS was mandatory to accept to continue using the platform.

Opt-out was available in regions where this was legally required, but involved a ridiculously complicated process using a variety of [[Dark pattern|dark patterns]] to dissuade users from taking Meta up on the offer. The form included a freeform text box where the user had to explain their reasons for opting out and suggested that all requests would be manually reviewed and reserved the right to reject the user's wishes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grinkevičius |first=Paulius |date=2024-05-28 |title=Meta uses your data to train AI, and it doesn't want you to opt out |url=https://cybernews.com/tech/meta-trains-ai-on-your-data/ |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=cybernews}}</ref>

===New iOS Camera Activity Indicator shows camera activity at unexpected moments (2020–2022)===

Some users reported their camera being accessed while they were not using a feature of the app that ordinarily involves taking pictures or videos. This was revealed by a new indicator in iOS 14 and the same thing was repeated when Android 12 introduced a similar indicator.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why does Instagram use my camera whenever i exit the app? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidQuestions/comments/s85mv2/why_does_instagram_use_my_camera_whenever_i_exit/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Why is Instagram accessing my camera at unexpected moments ? (The new privacy feature from Android 12 shows a red dot at the top right when an app is accessing sensitive hardware) |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Instagram/comments/qiyofe/why_is_instagram_accessing_my_camera_at/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Instagram weirdly accessing camera? (more in first comment) |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Instagram/comments/ssqeyi/instagram_weirdly_accessing_camera_more_in_first/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>

In a separate incident '''[I think November 2022]''', users reported suddenly seeing their camera feed behind the Instagram interface when scrolling their feed or interacting with posts '''[SOURCES NEEDED – very difficult to find the reports on this].'''

Instagram claimed that nothing was recorded in these instances. Their responses never addressed concerns that the camera feed might be used for things like analysing the face for emotional reaction to ads, recording location information or similar.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Becker |first=Leo |date=2020-07-27 |title=Unerwünschter iPhone-Kamerazugriff: Instagram verweist auf Bug |url=https://www.heise.de/news/Unerwuenschter-iPhone-Kamerazugriff-Instagram-verweist-auf-Bug-4855850.html |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Heise Online [German]}}</ref>

===Instagram uses personal data for advertisements without proper consent (Nov. 2020)===

In May 2019 Instagram suffered a big data breach which exposed sensitive information of almost 50 milion influencers and brands such as phone numbers and email adresses.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 20, 2019 |title=Millions of Instagram influencers had their contact data scraped and exposed |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/20/instagram-influencer-celebrity-accounts-scraped/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=May 23, 2019 |title=Instagram data breach! 49 million users’ sensitive data exposed online |url=https://cisomag.com/instagram-data-breach-49-million-users-sensitive-data-exposed-online/}}</ref>. It was later stated that no more than 350.000 accounts were affected and least some of the personal information was set to public by the affected accounts

The database was stored on an Amazon server and wasn't protected by a password<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 21, 2019 |title=Instagram: Facebook probes breach of millions of influencer accounts |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-48347592}}</ref>

The database was open for at least 72 hours, although a researcher verified that it was first accesed on May 14th<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 20, 2019 |title=Millions of Instagram influencers had their contact data scraped and exposed |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/20/instagram-influencer-celebrity-accounts-scraped/}}</ref>

===Controversy regarding the data privacy of minors (Mar. 2019)===

Since at least early 2019 until mid-2023 Meta has taken minimal action regarding closing accounts of children under 13, after requests sent from their parents and friends. Meta was actively collecting personal information of these children without their parents consent. This led to a lawsuit against the company in which it was stated that Meta violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA).<ref>{{Cite news |title=Meta collected children’s data from Instagram accounts, unsealed court document alleges |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/26/business/meta-collecting-data-children-facebook}}</ref>

Concerns were also present regarding exposing children to potential harmful content from a young age, which could impact their well-being

===Meta shares personal data from millions without consent. (Mar. 2018)===

== Other incidents ==

=== API restrictions (June 2016) ===

Starting with June 2016, Instagram imposed restrictions on their API that made it difficult for third-party apps, web front ends and search engines to work.<ref>[https://zeldman.com/2016/06/04/instagram-third-party-developers-drop-dead/ Instagram to third-party developers: drop dead]</ref><ref>[https://www.macrumors.com/2016/06/02/instagram-third-party-apps-websites-dead/ Third-Party Instagram Apps and Websites Cease to Work - Mac Rumors]</ref> Third-party tools like Hashtag Pirate had searching capabilities well beyond Instagram's built-in search tool, such as filtering by multiple tags and limiting by media type (photo or video).<ref>[https://archive.today/2025.10.24-183022/https://web.archive.org/web/20171112094946/http://hashtagpirate.com/news/instagram-blocked-access/ Instagram blocked access] - Hashtag Pirate, June 3, 2016</ref>

It is similar to [[Reddit#API_paywall,_June_2023|what Reddit did in 2023]], but 7 years earlier.

*Boomerang (2015-2022): A standalone app that looped videos.<ref name="IG Verge">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/7/22965754/instagram-boomerang-hyperlapse-app-store-google-play|title=Instagram’s standalone Boomerang and Hyperlapse apps are gone from the App Store and Google Play|first=Jay|last=Peters|date=2022-03-07|work=The Verge|access-date=2026-01-23}}</ref>

*Instagram TV (IGTV) (2018-2022): An app for long-form vertical videos.<ref name="IG Verge2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/28/22955646/instagram-shuts-down-separate-igtv-app-video-changes-reels-ads|title=Instagram says it’ll stop supporting the IGTV app|first=Mitchell|last=Clark|date=2022-02-28|work=The Verge|access-date=2026-01-23}}</ref>

[[Category:Instagram]]

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