• Instagram’s location map raises privacy concerns as old tags appear with live updates.
• Critics warn of risks, and the company plans changes.

Instagram’s new location-sharing feature is sparking alarm among some users, who say it could put people at risk by revealing where they are without their knowledge.

The Meta-owned platform quietly added the option on August 6, introducing a map that lets people share their location with friends – a tool similar to one Snapchat has offered since 2017.

It didn’t take long for worried posts to appear online. As reported by AFP, in one widely shared exchange, Instagram user Lindsey Bell said she was shocked to learn her location was visible to her followers.

“Mine was turned on and my home address was showing for all of my followers to see,” she wrote in response to a TikTok warning from reality TV personality Kelley Flanagan. “Turned it off immediately once I knew but had me feeling absolutely sick about it.”

In a TikTok video, Flanagan called the feature “dangerous” and walked viewers through how to disable it.

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri addressed the concerns in a post on Threads, saying the feature is off by default. “Quick Friend Map clarification, your location will only be shared if you decide to share it, and if you do, it can only be shared with a limited group of people you choose,” he wrote. “To start, location sharing is completely off.”

According to Instagram, the map is meant to help people share places they’ve visited and connect with friends. The company says users can choose who sees their location and can turn the feature off at any time.

A privacy concern on the heels of a legal case

The unease over Instagram’s map comes just a week after Meta faced scrutiny in court. A federal jury in San Francisco sided with women who said the company misused health data collected by Flo, a third-party app that tracks menstrual cycles and fertility.

The jury found that Meta knowingly received sensitive health information from the app and used it to target ads. Evidence presented in court included internal communications suggesting that some employees made light of the nature of the data.

“The case was about more than just data – it was about dignity, trust, and accountability,” said Carol Villegas, lead attorney for the plaintiffs.

How the new map works

Instagram’s map sits at the top of the messages inbox. It lets people share their live location while they’re using the app and see the locations of others who have chosen to share.

The company says no one can see a user’s location unless the person opts in. People can also limit the visibility to certain followers or turn it off entirely.

Meta describes the tool as “a new, lightweight way to connect with each other.” Similar functions exist on other platforms – Snapchat offers a personalised map, Apple’s iOS allows users to share locations with contacts, and Meta’s other apps like Facebook and WhatsApp have live location features.

A rocky reception

Despite these reassurances, the rollout has been met with scepticism. Many users, including professional creators, have raised safety concerns, warning that the feature could be misused for stalking or harassment.

The backlash has reached US lawmakers. According to NBC News, Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal have reportedly written to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, urging him to drop the feature.

Some confusion stems from how the map displays past posts. Users have reported seeing their older posts – ones with location tags – appear on the new map, even live location sharing enabled.

Mosseri explained that this is because the map includes both real-time locations and past posts with location tags. Those tags were already public to followers but weren’t previously collected in one place.

When location tags become personal

Allie Taylor, an educator who shares disability-related content on Instagram, said they learned about the map when followers messaged to say their location was visible. Taylor had posted a video tagged with the city of Cincinnati while at work. The map appeared to pinpoint the street they were on.

“It was terrifying,” Taylor said. “Why was this even a feature?”

Turning it off

There are several ways to disable location sharing. In Instagram, users can go to the messages inbox, open the map, tap the settings icon, and select “no one” for location sharing.

On a phone, location services for Instagram can be turned off entirely in the device’s settings.

Instagram promises changes

Mosseri has acknowledged the confusion and said the company will make the feature clearer. “We’re never going to share your location without someone actually actively asking to do so,” he said in a post last Friday.

In a statement, Meta said: “Instagram Map is off by default, and your live location is never shared unless you choose to turn it on. If you do, only people you follow back – or a private, custom list you select – can see your location.”

Mosseri also admitted that Instagram could “do a better job” explaining what appears on the map. “We can, and will, make it easier to understand exactly what’s happening,” he wrote, adding that improvements are planned for early next week.

Balancing connection and safety

The feature’s intent – to make it easier for friends to meet up and share experiences – is not new in social media. Apps have long offered ways to share location, from Snapchat’s Snap Map to Apple’s “Find My” function. The tools have drawn both praise for making coordination easier and criticism for the risks they pose when misused.

For Instagram, the challenge lies in ensuring that users understand exactly what they are sharing, with whom, and how it appears on the map. The backlash suggests that many people either missed or misunderstood the opt-in nature of the feature, especially when older posts appeared without warning.

Privacy advocates often caution that location data is especially sensitive. While a post tagged at a restaurant may seem harmless, patterns over time can reveal personal routines, places of work, or home addresses. The makes clear controls – and clear explanations – vital.

Instagram says it will continue to refine the map and its settings. Whether that will be enough to restore user confidence remains to be seen. In the meantime, those concerned about privacy have the option to disable location sharing entirely, either in the app or through phone settings.

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