Instagram: Difference between revisions

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==Incidents==

This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

===Removal of opt-in end-to-end encryption of messages (''2026'')===

Meta quietly updated its help pages to announce that messages between users on the platform will no longer be end-to-end encrypted starting May 2026 after pressure from child safety lobby groups. Meta stated that the removal is due to very few users actually using the feature. This is most likely because it required a manual opt-in.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Josh |date=2026-03-18 |title=Instagram to remove end-to-end encryption for private messages in May |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/18/instagram-to-remove-end-to-end-encryption-for-private-messages-in-may |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lakshmanan |first=Ravie |date=2026-03-13 |title=Meta to Shut Down Instagram End-to-End Encrypted Chat Support Starting May 2026 |url=https://thehackernews.com/2026/03/meta-to-shut-down-instagram-end-to-end.html |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=The Hacker News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schoon |first=Ben |date=2026-03-13 |title=Meta is killing end-to-end encryption for Instagram DMs soon |url=https://9to5google.com/2026/03/13/meta-is-killing-end-to-end-encryption-for-instagram-dms-soon/ |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=9To5Google}}</ref>

==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] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260130093146/https://zeldman.com/2016/06/04/instagram-third-party-developers-drop-dead/ Archived])</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] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251211004701/https://www.macrumors.com/2016/06/02/instagram-third-party-apps-websites-dead/ Archived])</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://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.

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

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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]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220120004950/https://old.reddit.com/r/AndroidQuestions/comments/s85mv2/why_does_instagram_use_my_camera_whenever_i_exit/ |archive-date=20 Jan 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=30 Oct 2021 |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 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20211030102434/https://old.reddit.com/r/Instagram/comments/qiyofe/why_is_instagram_accessing_my_camera_at/ |archive-date=30 Oct 2021 |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=15 Feb 2022 |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 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220215015408/https://old.reddit.com/r/Instagram/comments/ssqeyi/instagram_weirdly_accessing_camera_more_in_first/ |archive-date=15 Feb 2022 |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].'''

In a separate incident (potentially November 2022), users reported suddenly seeing their camera feed behind the Instagram interface when scrolling their feed or interacting with posts{{Cite}}

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] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251104105813/https://www.heise.de/news/Unerwuenschter-iPhone-Kamerazugriff-Instagram-verweist-auf-Bug-4855850.html |archive-date=4 Nov 2025}}</ref>

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Instagram already had a "photo map" feature in its early years, which was removed in 2016.<ref>2016-09-09, [https://thinkmarketingmagazine.com/instagram-killing-photo-maps-feature/ Instagram killing “photo maps” feature] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260130202048/https://thinkmarketingmagazine.com/instagram-killing-photo-maps-feature/ Archived])</ref>

~~===Removal of opt-in end-to-end encryption of messages (''2026'')===~~

Meta quietly updated its help pages to announce that messages between users on the platform will no longer be end-to-end encrypted starting May 2026 after pressure from child safety lobby groups. Meta stated that the removal is due to very few users actually using the feature. This is most likely because it required a manual opt-in.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Josh |date=2026-03-18 |title=Instagram to remove end-to-end encryption for private messages in May |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/18/instagram-to-remove-end-to-end-encryption-for-private-messages-in-may |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lakshmanan |first=Ravie |date=2026-03-13 |title=Meta to Shut Down Instagram End-to-End Encrypted Chat Support Starting May 2026 |url=https://thehackernews.com/2026/03/meta-to-shut-down-instagram-end-to-end.html |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=The Hacker News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schoon |first=Ben |date=2026-03-13 |title=Meta is killing end-to-end encryption for Instagram DMs soon |url=https://9to5google.com/2026/03/13/meta-is-killing-end-to-end-encryption-for-instagram-dms-soon/ |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=9To5Google}}</ref>

~~==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] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260130093146/https://zeldman.com/2016/06/04/instagram-third-party-developers-drop-dead/ Archived])</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] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251211004701/https://www.macrumors.com/2016/06/02/instagram-third-party-apps-websites-dead/ Archived])</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://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.~~

==Products==

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+{{Incomplete|Issue 1=references need to use [[Template:Cite web|Cite web]] template|Issue 2=needs sources}}
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 |ArticleType=Service
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 ==Incidents==
 This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
+===Removal of opt-in end-to-end encryption of messages (''2026'')===
+Meta quietly updated its help pages to announce that messages between users on the platform will no longer be end-to-end encrypted starting May 2026 after pressure from child safety lobby groups. Meta stated that the removal is due to very few users actually using the feature. This is most likely because it required a manual opt-in.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Josh |date=2026-03-18 |title=Instagram to remove end-to-end encryption for private messages in May |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/18/instagram-to-remove-end-to-end-encryption-for-private-messages-in-may |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lakshmanan |first=Ravie |date=2026-03-13 |title=Meta to Shut Down Instagram End-to-End Encrypted Chat Support Starting May 2026 |url=https://thehackernews.com/2026/03/meta-to-shut-down-instagram-end-to-end.html |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=The Hacker News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schoon |first=Ben |date=2026-03-13 |title=Meta is killing end-to-end encryption for Instagram DMs soon |url=https://9to5google.com/2026/03/13/meta-is-killing-end-to-end-encryption-for-instagram-dms-soon/ |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=9To5Google}}</ref>
+==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] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260130093146/https://zeldman.com/2016/06/04/instagram-third-party-developers-drop-dead/ Archived])</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] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251211004701/https://www.macrumors.com/2016/06/02/instagram-third-party-apps-websites-dead/ Archived])</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://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.
 ===Meta shares personal data from millions without consent. (''2018'')===
@@ Line 62: / Line 72: @@
 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]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220120004950/https://old.reddit.com/r/AndroidQuestions/comments/s85mv2/why_does_instagram_use_my_camera_whenever_i_exit/ |archive-date=20 Jan 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=30 Oct 2021 |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 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20211030102434/https://old.reddit.com/r/Instagram/comments/qiyofe/why_is_instagram_accessing_my_camera_at/ |archive-date=30 Oct 2021 |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=15 Feb 2022 |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 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220215015408/https://old.reddit.com/r/Instagram/comments/ssqeyi/instagram_weirdly_accessing_camera_more_in_first/ |archive-date=15 Feb 2022 |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].'''
+In a separate incident (potentially November 2022), users reported suddenly seeing their camera feed behind the Instagram interface when scrolling their feed or interacting with posts{{Cite}}
+<!--'''[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] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251104105813/https://www.heise.de/news/Unerwuenschter-iPhone-Kamerazugriff-Instagram-verweist-auf-Bug-4855850.html |archive-date=4 Nov 2025}}</ref>
@@ Line 91: / Line 103: @@
 Instagram already had a "photo map" feature in its early years, which was removed in 2016.<ref>2016-09-09, [https://thinkmarketingmagazine.com/instagram-killing-photo-maps-feature/ Instagram killing “photo maps” feature] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260130202048/https://thinkmarketingmagazine.com/instagram-killing-photo-maps-feature/ Archived])</ref>
-===Removal of opt-in end-to-end encryption of messages (''2026'')===
-Meta quietly updated its help pages to announce that messages between users on the platform will no longer be end-to-end encrypted starting May 2026 after pressure from child safety lobby groups. Meta stated that the removal is due to very few users actually using the feature. This is most likely because it required a manual opt-in.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Josh |date=2026-03-18 |title=Instagram to remove end-to-end encryption for private messages in May |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/18/instagram-to-remove-end-to-end-encryption-for-private-messages-in-may |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lakshmanan |first=Ravie |date=2026-03-13 |title=Meta to Shut Down Instagram End-to-End Encrypted Chat Support Starting May 2026 |url=https://thehackernews.com/2026/03/meta-to-shut-down-instagram-end-to-end.html |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=The Hacker News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schoon |first=Ben |date=2026-03-13 |title=Meta is killing end-to-end encryption for Instagram DMs soon |url=https://9to5google.com/2026/03/13/meta-is-killing-end-to-end-encryption-for-instagram-dms-soon/ |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=9To5Google}}</ref>
-==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] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260130093146/https://zeldman.com/2016/06/04/instagram-third-party-developers-drop-dead/ Archived])</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] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251211004701/https://www.macrumors.com/2016/06/02/instagram-third-party-apps-websites-dead/ Archived])</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://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.
 ==Products==