Instagram is one of the biggest social media platforms in the entire world and it has emerged as the most popular photo-sharing app as well. If you are into photography and love sharing your photos with the world and your friends Instagram is the go-to app for that. But with millions of images and other data being shared on Instagram one has to wonder how secure your data is when you use Instagram. While Instagram has been pretty effective at securing the privacy of its users in 2019 Business Insider reported that Instagram has allowed access to user data.
How does Instagram deal with user privacy?
- Instagram utilizes user data security measures including two-factor authentication, storing and sharing data in none identifiable form, sharing Facebook’s data security platform, and prevents third-party apps from collecting user data to ensure user privacy.
How can you improve your privacy if you Instagram?
- You can improve your Instagram privacy by disabling location tracking for the Instagram app, preventing third-party apps from accessing your account, and turning on two-factor authentication.
How can you get information removed from Instagram?
- You can remove your information from Instagram servers by deleting your Instagram account permanently.
How can you find out what information Instagram has about you?
- You can go to the “Privacy and Security” section of your account using a desktop or go to the “Security” option in the Instagram app to know all the information Instagram holds about you.
Does Instagram tell you who they share your information with?
- Instagram shares your data with third-party apps, partners and service providers, Facebook group of companies, and law enforcement.
Does Instagram remove user information from third parties?
- Instagram can only remove your data from the third parties that comply with the data privacy policy of Instagram.
Instagram being a part of Facebook enjoys advanced data security technology that prevents data breaches to a great extent. But with hackers and malicious codes becoming more and more sophisticated you can never be too sure about your privacy while using any online service especially social media such as Instagram. That is why in this article we will walk you through all the frequently asked questions and their answers that are going to clear all of your doubts about Instagram’s privacy and also going to allow you to increase the level of privacy while using Instagram.
Contents
- How does Instagram deal with user privacy?
- How can you improve your privacy if you Instagram?
- How can you get information removed from Instagram?
- How can you find out what information Instagram has about you?
- Does Instagram tell you who they share your information with?
- Does Instagram remove user information from third parties?
How does Instagram deal with user privacy?
Instagram has been criticized for not using end to end encryption for securing the user data. But despite the criticism, Instagram has been maintaining the data privacy of its users fairly well. Instagram deals with user privacy by using the following privacy protection practices:
● Two-factor authentication:
Instagram uses a two-factor authentication method to ensure that no one gains unauthorized access to the user’s account from an unrecognized device. If you have two-factor authentication activated for your Insta account then whenever Instagram detects that you are trying to sign in from an unfamiliar device it is going to send a unique code to your mobile number or get a unique code through a third party authentication app such as Google Authenticator. And you can only access your Instagram account after providing the unique authentication code.
● Sharing user data in non-identifiable form:
While Instagram provides full disclosure that it shares your data with advertisement parties it shares that data in a form that is not personally identifiable. So your shared data cannot be used to track you or identify you personally.
● Sharing Facebook’s data security platform:
Instagram shares its data security and storage infrastructure with Facebook which means that Instagram’s data is secured by multilayered data security protocols of Facebook. Facebook’s data centers are secured with the help of measures such as limited access to user data, physical surveillance, malware detection technologies, and other sophisticated data protection technologies.
● Prevents third-party apps from collecting user data:
When you connect a third-party app to your Instagram account you will see a screen telling you what information the third-party app can collect from your Instagram account and you can also choose to allow or not allow access to the third-party app. By adding this feature into their platform Instagram is trying to ensure that third-party apps can’t collect your data without your consent.
How can you improve your privacy if you Instagram?
There are some measures you can take on your behalf to ensure that your personal information and data remains private. Tightening your Instagram privacy is surprisingly simple as you can utilize your phone settings and build in Instagram app settings to keep Instagram from collecting unwanted data. You can improve your Instagram privacy by doing the following:
● Disabling location tracking for the Instagram app:
Instagram like most social media applications provides its users with an option to share their location when posting an image on Instagram. But this location tracking feature also allows Instagram to collect data about your location. Although you can’t use the Instagram app to turn off location tracking you can do it from your phone’s settings. If you have an iPhone you can turn off location for Instagram by going into settings of your iPhone and tapping on “Privacy”.
From this menu pick “Location services” and find Instagram in the list of apps. Tap on Instagram and select “Never” to disable location tracking for Instagram. On an Android device, you can turn off location access for Instagram by going into settings and picking the “Apps” option. Here you will find the list of all the apps installed on your device including Instagram. By tapping on Instagram you can then pick the “Permissions” option and disable location permission for Instagram.
● Preventing third-party apps from accessing your account:
If your Instagram account has third party apps linked to it then your data is also being shared with these apps. An example of third-party apps that you might attach with your Instagram is Instagram unfollower tracking app that lets you know how many people unfollowed you on Instagram and how many followers you gained.
The good thing is that preventing these third-party apps from collecting your data is simple and can be done from within your Instagram app. Simply open the Instagram app on your device and go to settings. From here you can tap on “Security” and then select “Apps and Websites”. You will see a list of all the third-party apps that have access to your Instagram account and you can tap “Remove” next to each app to revoke its access to your Instagram account.
● Turning on two-factor authentication:
As we mentioned above two-factor authentication helps prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing your Instagram account. You can turn on two-factor authentication for your Instagram account by going to the setting of your Instagram application and selecting “Security”. In the next screen scroll until you find “Two-Factor Authentication” and tap on the “Get Started” button and pick the method you want to use for activating two-factor authentication.
You can either use SMS or third party authentication to activate two-factor authentication for your Instagram account. You will receive a code via SMS or third-party authentication app depending upon which method you picked. All you have to do is enter that code in your Instagram app to finish the process.
How can you get information removed from Instagram?
Deleting your information from Instagram involves deleting your Instagram account permanently. Not to be confused with the deactivation of your account deleting your Instagram account means you will never be able to log into it again. But if you want to remove your information from Instagram this is the only way to do it.
To delete your Instagram account all you have to do is log into the account deletion page of Instagram which is available at https://instagram.com/accounts/remove/request/permanent/ using a browser because you can’t delete your account through the Instagram app. Once you log into the account deletion page you will have to select the reason for which you want to delete your Instagram account next to “Why are you deleting your account?”. Next, you will have to enter your password and click on “Permanently delete my account” to delete your Instagram account and all of your data along with it.
How can you find out what information Instagram has about you?
● For Desktop
If you are using Instagram from a pc you can log into the Instagram website using your account details and go to the settings menu of your account. Here you can click on “Privacy and Security” and then select “Account Data”. Then select “View Account Data” and you will be able to view all the different types of data Instagram holds about you.
● For Mobile App
If you are using an Instagram mobile application you can go to the settings of the Instagram app and select the “Security” option. Next, you can tap on “Access Data” to view your Instagram info.
Yes, Instagram mentions in their privacy policy that they share user data with the following parties:
● Third-party apps:
As we mentioned in the previous sections Instagram shares user’s data with third-party apps that you attach with your Instagram account.
● Partners and service providers:
Instagram has to partner with third-party service providers such as marketing partners, customers support providers, and other similar partners. But these partners can only access and use user data according to Instagram’s privacy policy.
● Facebook group of companies:
Facebook group of companies share user data with each other for various applications. And being a part of this group Instagram also shares your data with Facebook companies.
● Law enforcement:
In case of a legal notice from a court Instagram might share user data with the court. Or if it is required by law Instagram might also share your data with law enforcement to facilitate law enforcement agencies.
Does Instagram remove user information from third parties?
Instagram can only delete your data from third parties that comply with their privacy policy. And among the third parties, we mentioned above only third-party partners and service providers comply with Instagram’s privacy policy, therefore, Instagram can only delete your data from service providers and not from the third-party apps, legal entities, and other Facebook companies.
