Instagram has gone too far and is now facing serious consequences. Recently, on August 6th, 2025, Instagram introduced a new update that automatically shares people’s “real-time locations”. With this feature, you can choose to share your location with all of your followers, only friends, a custom list, or nobody at all. If you decide to share your location it refreshes every time you open the app or return to it after leaving the tab.
At first look, Instagram showed this update as a way to help people feel more connected and to have people be able to see each other’s locations. Although the reality quickly became messy a lot of people began realizing their locations were being shared without them fully understanding how or when they gave consent. People felt blindsided feeling like Instagram had pushed out a big change without fully making it clear.
A lot of people voiced their concern saying they did not see the benefit of the update while many accused Instagram of copying Snapchat’s Snap Map, which already shows a very similar situation. The difference people say is that Snapchat makes location sharing optional and transparent. On Snapchat your location only appears if you willingly turn it on and you have the freedom to decide who sees it and to remain in “ghost mode,” where no one can track you. Instagram’s comparison has been described as more dangerous leaving people confused and can’t figure out settings they never wanted to deal with in the first place.
The backlash has been impossible to ignore app store reviews, and social media have been filled with complaints, warnings,and to delete Instagram altogether. 37 general attorneys have also spoken out, arguing that real-time location sharing can put users at risk, especially younger audiences who may not realize the danger.
Ultimately, Instagram’s new update raises a good question: when does the line get drawn? If Instagram hopes to maintain its users, it must ensure that privacy and consent remain at the center of any updates. Without that, features meant to bring people closer together may only push them further toward danger.