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The launch of an Instagram feature that details users’ geolocation data illicited backlash from social media users on Thursday.
debuted the Instagram Map tool on Wednesday, pitching the feature as way to “stay up-to-date with friends” by letting users share their “last active location.” The tool is akin to Snapchat’s Snap Map feature that lets people see where their friends are posting from.
Although Meta said in a blog post that the feature’s “location sharing is off unless you opt in,” several social media users said in posts that they were worried that was not the case.
“I can’t believe Instagram launched a map feature that exposes everyone’s location without any warning,” said one user who posted on Threads, Meta’s micro-blogging service.
