Instagram says that your precise location is not being shared with your followers, contrary to the alarming viral claims of a recent post.

The Meta-owned photo-sharing social network, which is now dabbling heavily in videos, dispels false claims that it shares the precise location of its users with other people.

(Photo : KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)
A picture taken on October 12, 2021 in Moscow shows the US social network Instagram's logo on a smartphone screen.

Is Instagram Sharing Your Precise Location with Your Followers

According to a recent report by BBC News, Instagram has clarified that it does not "share your location with others.

The social media giant goes on to say that it particularly uses the precise location of its users primarily for features like location tags and maps, which other social network platforms are also using.

Instagram also adds that when the precise location is turned on on your device, the social media service could share a more accurate geotag on your post or Story.

No less than the big boss of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, has also explained that they do not share the location of its followers with other people on the platform.

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Viral Claim on Instagram Says Otherwise

A news story by 9to5 Mac reports that a recent post on Instagram went viral swiftly as the claims were frankly alarming to millions of its users. It claims that its iOS app shares your location with your followers.

The news outlet notes that the viral post already garnered thousands of interactions on IG, including likes and comments as of writing. However, it is unclear how many times the post had been shared elsewhere as the social media giant does not publicly provide these numbers.

The post claims that iPhone users should be wary of a new iOS update, which alleges that "people can now find your exact location from Instagram."

The viral claim, which Instagram has already denied, further states that when users include a location tag on their posts, it would share your precise location instead of supposedly a general one.

(Photo : KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)
This picture taken in Moscow on October 5, 2021 shows the US social network Instagram logo on a smartphone screen.

The official Instagram account of the photo and video sharing giant has directly commented on the viral post to share its response.

The comment seen on the post says that it does not "make your exact location public." But on top of that, Instagram notes that its users could tweak their location settings using their mobile devices.

Meanwhile, the official Twitter account of Instagram Comms dubbed the viral post about its precise location sharing as a mere meme as it dispels its claims.

👋 We’ve seen a meme going around about how Instagram uses “precise location.”

— Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) August 25, 2022

 

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Written by Teejay Boris