Instagram Maps function arrives in India: pros, disadvantages and safety tips you must know

Instagram has begun launching its Maps feature to India to enable users to share their location with their friends and family in real time. The new feature was introduced to users in the US and Canada for the first time in August and will be available to all users worldwide. The meta-owned social media giant mentions that it has taken many privacy-related measures since the launch of the App in the US, but that a number of concerns about the function have been raised since the launch. Instagram cards contain Privacy Problems: The Maps feature shows the user-marked location of the user for a 24-hour period, and although Instagram says it has taken different steps to endure the abuse, a few threats may be left. 1) Stalking: Real -time location of location can allow threats or harassment, especially if users open the location or leave open for a larger audience. The threat is increasingly present for minors who may share their location to get the latest trend on social media platform. 2) Data abuse: Meta has a controversial history of handling user data. The company recently announced that it will provide ads and personalized content to users based on its discussions with its AI chatbot. Given the context, it is difficult to imagine that Meta does not use the Maps function to target ads, or in the worst case data sells to third parties. 3) Breaking risks: Real -time location data is extremely sensitive, perhaps even more than other personal data. If Meta stores this data central, it can become a honeypot for bad actors. While it may be a piece to think so, if hackers get hold of this data, they can access historical location patterns that can reveal home addresses, workplaces and routines of the user. What steps did Meta take? The location division function is turned off standard, and users must intentionally turn it on to get started. Parents will also receive a notice when their teenager marks their location on Instagram, and they will have the ability to eliminate it. Brett Westvelt, VP, head of Instagram Design, revealed in a blog post that the company made two changes of the US and Canada launch. First, users get a more persistent indicator at the top of the map and the top of the inbox, with an extra note that reminds users whether they share the location or not. Second, if users with a location is going to mark content on Instagram, they are reminded that this location will be visible 24 hours. The company says that it will also show an ‘educational reminder’ that when the user adds a location mark to a story, haven or mail, it will appear on the map. Tips for privacy to keep in mind: If you are concerned about your privacy, it may not be a good idea to share your real -time location with the whole world. Instead, you want to limit the location function to a selected set of friends. If you add a location label to a story/pulley/mail, the content will place on the map, so use the new preview function to see how it will appear after it is placed. The new banner on the map and the Notes tray must sign whether or not to share your location.