The New Instagram Feature That Should Make You Run for the Off Switch

If you support privacy, you probably aren’t using Instagram anyway, but if you have friends and family that still use it, you want to let them know about this new invasive feature Instagram is introducing.

Meta is rolling out three new Instagram updates, but one of them takes the platform into territory that should set off serious alarm bells for anyone who values privacy.

The first two changes are relatively harmless: a new option to repost public Reels and a “Friends” tab showing posts your contacts have liked or commented on.

The third is far more invasive: Instagram’s new “Friend Map,” a live-tracking system that lets you share your exact location with chosen contacts and see theirs in return.

Meta frames it as a way to “stay up-to-date with friends,” but its real value is to the company, not to you.

The feature mirrors Snapchat’s “Snap Map” and is being introduced first in the United States before a global release. Unlike meeting up for coffee, this kind of “connection” means giving Meta a constant feed of where you are, when you are there, and how often you go.

How the Friend Map tracks you

When enabled, Friend Map draws from your phone’s GPS, along with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals, to pinpoint your location.

If you have ever tagged your location in a post or Story, you may have already granted the necessary permissions. Tagged Reels, Stories, and posts can appear on the map for 24 hours, along with “Notes” from mutual followers.

Instagram says location sharing is off the first time you open the map, but it has not clarified if it will push you to turn it back on later.

Once permissions are in place, the app can access your location any time you use it.

Why this is a privacy minefield

Giving away your real-time location is one of the most revealing data points you can share online. It exposes your home, workplace, daily routines, and the places you visit most. This information is a goldmine for advertisers who can track your habits to target you with products, and for governments, which can use it without a warrant if it is posted publicly.

There is also the very real threat of stalking. Domestic abuse organizations have long warned that live location tracking is a powerful tool for abusers to monitor and control victims. Normalizing this kind of surveillance makes those risks even greater, especially for children.

How to shut it down

If you are prompted to enable Friend Map, refuse. If it is already active, here is how to disable it:

On Instagram:

• Go to Messages.
• Tap “Map” at the top.
• Open Settings.
• Select “No one” and confirm.

On your device:

iOS: Under Privacy & Security, remove Instagram’s location access or turn off “Share My Location.”

Android: In Location settings, remove Instagram’s permission or switch location services off entirely.

The bigger picture

This is not about one feature. It is part of a steady push by Big Tech to normalize handing over more and more of your personal data under the guise of “connection” and “convenience.”

Your location is valuable, and keeping it private is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself from surveillance, tracking, and profiling.

You do not need to give Meta a real-time map of your life to stay close to your friends. Refusing this kind of tracking is not only a personal choice, but it is a stand against the constant erosion of digital privacy.

The post The New Instagram Feature That Should Make You Run for the Off Switch appeared first on Reclaim The Net.