Instagram's new blast! Now you can see the location of friends LIVE, but this feature has increased the tension

Instagram Friend Map Feature: Meta-owned photo and short video platform Instagram has quietly introduced its new Friend Map feature in India.

Instagram Friend Map Feature: Meta-owned photo and short video platform Instagram has quietly introduced its new Friend Map feature in India. This tool allows users to see the real-time location of their friends, share hangout spots, and find common meeting places. Its concept is somewhat similar to Snapchat's Snap Map. Although it has been created to increase offline connections between friends, questions are also being raised about privacy and safety.

Objective of Friend Map

Meta says that the purpose of this feature is to inspire friends to meet offline, help find new places nearby, and make sudden meetings easier. It has been introduced as a fun social tool that can strengthen personal connections. But through this, followers can also track someone's movement, which threatens to turn it into a stalking tool.

Features of Friend Map

Real-time location sharing: Only visible when the user has turned it on.

App and content-based tracking: Recent location is saved when you open Instagram or tag a location in a post/story.

Location history: Frequent check-ins can reveal your movement and favorite places pattern.

Meta integration: Works by linking to Facebook and Messenger data.

How to use it on your phone?

Go to the Messages section of Instagram and turn on the Friend Map option.

Decide who can see your location in the location sharing settings.

You can share location if you want or turn it off completely.
This feature is currently being rolled out slowly in some countries, including India. By default it will remain off, until you turn it on.

What will be the benefit to users?

Easy to plan meetups with nearby friends.

Discover new and common hangout spots.

More interactive and social experience on Instagram.

Increased privacy concerns

According to security experts, this feature can be as dangerous as it is convenient.

Physical risk: Stalking, harassment or getting information about being away from home.

Digital exploitation: Data used for targeted ads, scams and profiling.

Data leak: Meta's previous data leak cases show that location data can be attractive to hackers.

Lack of encryption: Location data is not end-to-end encrypted, making it accessible to Meta and cyber criminals.

Meta's vision for Instagram

Meta now wants to make Instagram not just a photo-sharing app but a social hub that also promotes real-life connections. By adding location data to its ecosystem, the company not only wants to increase interactions but also strengthen targeted advertising. However, this raises the question of where the right balance is struck between convenience and privacy.