Instagram rolls out new location sharing, reels features; security concerns raised

Instagram has launched three new major features — Repost, Instagram Map, and the Friends tab — for its users.

The Repost feature will help users share others' content with your own followers and friends. The feature will give credit to the original poster.

Photos: ANI

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The 'Instagram Map' feature is reminiscent of a similar feature on Snapchat. With this option, one can share their last active location with a chosen group of friends. The user can see their locations and content they've posted from interesting places. Also, the feature is designed with safety as a priority — parents of supervised teen accounts will be notified if their child turns on location sharing.

"Share locations with friends and see what's happening around you on the Instagram map. And if you're a parent with supervision set up for your teen, you have control over whether they can share their location, and who they're sharing with," said Instagram.

When the app rolled out the Map feature, it caused a wave of confusion among users who were worried that their locations would be visible to all their followers.

Some users have since been shocked to discover that their location was being shared, viral posts have shown.

"Mine was turned on and my home address was showing for all of my followers to see," Instagram user Lindsey Bell wrote in reply to a warning posted by "Bachelor" reality television personality Kelley Flanagan to her 300,000 TikTok followers.

"Turned it off immediately once I knew but had me feeling absolutely sick about it."

In a TikTok video, Flanagan called Instagram's new location sharing feature "dangerous" and gave step-by-step instructions on how to make sure it is turned off.

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri fired off a post on Meta-owned Threads stressing that Instagram location sharing is off by default, meaning users need to opt in for it to be active.

"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," Mosseri wrote.

"To start, location sharing is completely off."

The feature was added as a way for friends to better connect with one another, sharing posts from "cool spots," Instagram said in a blog post.

Users can be selective regarding who they share locations with, and can turn it off whenever they wish, according to Instagram.

Friends tab

The Friends tab within Reels helps users see what their friends have liked, commented on, or recommended via Blends.

Instagram shared these updates through an official blog post, accompanied by a reel from platform chief Adam Mosseri, where he opened up about the new features in detail.

All three features are available in the UAE as of this week.

According to Meta, the new features are meant to make the app more community focused, and help people connect with their friends.

(With inputs from AFP)

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