How Much Privacy Does Your Instagram Really Offer?

Is The Photo Map on Instagram Bad for User Privacy?

Instagram’s recent updates have allowed users to show geotags on each post. A geotag is the coordinates of where you are when you post a picture onto your instagram profile.  The photo will show up on the feature called “photo map”. Some users might find this new update enjoyable, because if you’re in Fiji or Cancun you can secretly brag to all of your friends who aren’t on vacation. But, everyone can now see where you are and your location isn’t private.

            Sources claim that location services on your smart phone are there too better the life of the consumer. If you need to use your gps because you’re lost in your car, the location services are extremely useful. But when you are posting on instagram, is it really important to let everyone see where you are? The geotag on the picture that is posted shows up as a link above the photo. When you click the link, a picture of the world map opens up, and your photos are placed wherever they were geotagged.

                      

             When instagram updated the app users were thrilled.  People were enabling their location services and watching their new posts come up one the new “photo map” feature, but what users didn’t know is that any post that had been previously geotagged would also show up. Any post that has been previously geotagged will now show-up on the users photomap. So if someone posted a picture from their house before, their exact address is now accessible.

            Is instagram pushing privacy boundaries? Even though the location services can in fact be turned off, does that just mean the public can’t see them. Every picture ever taken on a smart phone has a geotag, but who can actually see it, and why is it there?