A new Instagram-Facebook location sharing test seeks to grab more information from users in order to build robust profiles…
App researcher Jane Manchun Wong has uncovered a location-sharing feature within Instagram that works even when people aren’t using the app. The new Instagram-Facebook location sharing tool is actually an opt-in feature, currently in testing.
Instagram-Facebook Location Sharing Test Discovered
The information grabber is there to help Facebook “build and use a history of precise locations.” Of course, this is really done to target and pepper users with even more ads. But, the social giant describes it as a plus for users because it “helps you explore what’s around you, get more relevant ads and helps improve Facebook.”
Instagram, as a “Facebook Product”, is testing Facebook Location History in their app.
It allows tracking the history of precise locations from your device, now through instagram app too
previously: https://t.co/JCQGnawJbV pic.twitter.com/S02lyIfTlu
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) October 4, 2018
Instagram certainly isn’t the only service which seeks to obtain and share more user information. In 2016, the company announced it would share user data between WhatsApp and Facebook. But, that practice came to an end because of the GDPR legislation.
A Facebook spokesperson tells TechCrunch:
“We often work on ideas that may evolve over time or ultimately not be tested or released. Instagram does not currently store Location History; we’ll keep people updated with any changes to our location settings in the future.”
Recently, Facebook began testing a new Nearby Friends location map.