Instagram’s ‘Friend Map’ Triggers Privacy Backlash
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Instagram has rolled out “Friend Map,” a Snap-Map-style view that lets you share your last-active location with a circle you choose—Close Friends, a custom list, or followers you approve. It lives at the top of DMs, can surface friends’ location-tagged posts for 24 hours, and updates when the app’s open (or recently active). Meta says the feature is strictly opt-in and requires device-level location permissions.
Backlash arrived fast. Creators and safety advocates worry the map could aid stalking or doxxing, and some users say they saw themselves appear on the map despite never opting in—confusing location-tagged posts with live tracking. Instagram’s Adam Mosseri jumped in to clarify: live location won’t be shared unless you explicitly enable it and pick who can see it, but the team’s “still checking” edge cases and will tweak the design to reduce confusion.
If you don’t want any part of it, you’ve got options: open the Map from your inbox, tap the settings icon, and switch sharing to “Off” (or limit it to Close Friends). You can also revoke iOS/Android location access entirely, which disables the map and related prompts. Expect more safety guidance—and possibly regulatory attention—if complaints keep piling up, because this feature touches the hot button where discovery meets privacy.
