Social Media

Analysing Instagram’s Privacy Settings

Have you ever been curious about Instagram’s privacy settings? Lucky for you, we’re here to shed some light on the situation.
In this article, we’ll go through the specifics of the information Instagram gathers about you, where it goes, and how you may put a stop to it. Enjoy!

The new Instagram Privacy Statement: What information does it gather?

We dug through Instagram’s Privacy Policy and came up with this handy visual guide to the information the service gathers on its users.

Instagram Direct Messages and the Privacy Agreement

Instagram claims it does not store or read direct messages.
Instagram DMs aren’t end-to-end encrypted like WhatsApp though. They are stored on the service’s servers. Even if they are encrypted, Instagram may still be able to view them.

However, the service does keep track of details about your texts, such as the people you send them to and when.
Your every move on the site is monitored. You may gather a lot of useful information just by utilising Instagram.

Consider all of your contacts, the accounts you follow, the content you like and the shows you watch. The data collected by the app is used to create a digital profile that accurately reflects your true preferences.

Photographic evidence captured inside the app
Fave Instagram photo effects? What about elegant disguises? Even if we adore them, there is a catch.

Any footage shot using Instagram’s built-in camera is uploaded directly to the service’s servers. The programme claims that this information is  expand your consumer processed automatically so that you may receive recommendations for new and filters.

Your position data is continuously gathered
Instagram really enjoys knowing your location. The software tracks your present position as well as your home, favourite hangouts, and the nearby establishments and individuals.

You may disable the app’s GPS tracking functions, but it will still track your whereabouts using your IP address.

System and network information

Wow, Instagram sure does want a lot of information about your mobile device.

Information such as the hardware version, phone number, app version, free space, web browser, device IDs, Bluetooth signals, language, and time zone are gathered by the app.

Instagram also gets your phone’s network provider, IP address, data rate, signal strength, and local Wi-Fi hotspot information.

Collaboration data

Even when you’re not using Instagram, the service is still collecting data about you.
The app can see what you do on other websites because of a tracker called the Meta pixel, which is installed on 40% of the top 10,000 websites.

Instagram’s Data Use and Privacy Statement for 2023

Instagram use it as a means of service enhancement. Instagram’s developing your team gets automated bug and performance reports to help them spot and fix any issues that may arise. The app’s vast user base makes any downtime intolerable.

With Meta firms, Instagram shares it
According to Instagram’s updated Privacy Policy, data is shared throughout all Meta products. Although it doesn’t go into detail on how or to what extent they do it.

If you use Instagram, Facebook may recommend groups or profiles for you to join.

Data is gathered for ad targeting on Instagram.

Instagram keeps track of everything you do and shares that information with marketers that want to reach you specifically.

To third parties, Instagram may disclose your information. In addition to sharing your information with advertisers, Instagram may also share it with other third parties.

Partners, vendors, service providers, researchers, academics, and law enforcement are all considered customers.

Is it possible to limit the information Instagram collects by adjusting the privacy settings?

Some simple guidelines to promote their brand privacy and reduce data collection are provided below.

The Instagram Privacy Policy deserves praise first and foremost. The text is well-written and straightforward; you don’t need a legal degree to comprehend it.

Because of Instagram’s parent company, Meta, it may share your information with other Meta subsidiaries. It’s unclear how much, or what, gets communicated. Instagram also gathers a lot of user information for its advertising machine.

We don’t think Instagram is a good platform for talking to friends and family. Instagram’s Direct Messages are not encrypted from end to end and are kept on the company’s servers. If you use ClearVPN, your IP address and location will be concealed, reducing the amount of data the service may gather about you.