Instagram rolls out Map feature amid safety warnings

Meta-owned Instagram rolled out a new Instagram Map feature earlier this month, pitched as a way to use a “map to see content your friends and favourite creators are posting from cool spots”.

- Vishal Mathur

However, as the feature rolls out to users, familiar concerns about location tracking are emerging.

Security researchers warn of risks around safety, data control and trust.

Instagram says the Map feature, currently rolling out starting with the US, follows an opt-in method. “If you use location sharing, your location is updated whenever you open the app or return to the app if it’s been running in the background. You can turn off location sharing at any time,” the company explains.

However, cybersecurity firm McAfee notes that unlike traditional posts where users specifically choose what to share, this feature operates as an always-on location transmitter that continuously broadcasts whereabouts to selected contacts whenever the app is opened.

Scale and sophistication concerns

“Features like location sharing aren't inherently bad, but they come with tradeoffs. It’s about making informed choices. When people don’t fully understand what's being shared or who can see it, that’s when it becomes a risk,” said Steve Grobman, McAfee’s chief technology officer.

‘McAfee draws parallels with Snapchat’s Snap Map, released in 2017, which caused similar privacy and safety concerns.