Instagram just rolled out a brand new Map feature — and if you’re among the many Aussies seeing warnings online, you’re not alone. The global rollout is causing controversy, with feeds on TikTok, X, and Threads filling up fast with concerns about privacy and personal safety.
The Map feature allows users to share their live location, but while Meta claims the update is “off by default”, plenty of users online are reporting that their location was shared automatically.
With a history of privacy fumbles, Meta’s latest move has again put the focus on how much control users really have over their data — and what the risks are if that control is lost.
What is Instagram’s Map feature and why are people worried?
Instagram’s Map allows users to share their current or recent location with others through the app, accessible via your DMs. Meta is pitching it as a “lightweight” way to help friends discover what’s happening around them and feel more connected in real time.
But connection isn’t always harmless — and for many, seeing their exact location or movement automatically displayed is a genuine safety concern.
A Meta spokesperson told PEDESTRIAN.TV, “Instagram Map is off by default, and your live location is never shared unless you choose to turn it on. If you do, only people you follow back — or a private, custom list you select — can see your location.”
However, since launch, TikTokers have demonstrated how the feature appeared switched on for them without any clear opt-in prompt, contradicting Instagram’s official statement and leaving many confused and anxious.
“This app being dropped with no announcement, no fanfare — people just waking up and finding a floating icon above their very own houses is one of the most dangerous things I can imagine,” said TikToker Jamila Bradley.
“Now while some countries did get a splash screen with information about the new feature and how it works, a tonne of users are completely blind to the fact that now their exact, precise location is fully public,” they continued
Another TikToker, @.herculeankate, said they didn’t know their Instagram location was on “until one of my friends reached out to me”.
The risk is clear: real-time location sharing can potentially expose users — especially women, teens, and creators — to unwanted tracking, harassment, or worse. As cybersecurity creator Caitlin Sarian, aka @cybersecuritygirl, said in a video, “When you’re constantly broadcasting where you are, you’re sharing your daily routines, where you live, where you work to potential hackers, stalkers, bad exes, all of the above.”
Other creators, including Angelika Koch, known as @nerdytravelingwriter on TikTok, have highlighted the impact for users recovering from domestic abuse or harassment, noting that not everyone on your mutual list is necessarily trustworthy.
“Think of how many creators have stalkers,” she said in her video. “I’m thinking of my followers who just got out of abusive relationships. They’re still mutuals with their abusers.”
How does this compare to other location-sharing apps?
Location sharing itself isn’t new — Snapchat’s Snap Map and Apple’s Find My Friends have been around for years. The difference is how these services handle user choice and transparency. Typically, you need to deliberately opt in, and it’s clearer who can see your whereabouts. With Instagram, reports of the feature being quietly enabled for users — especially after an app update — have made people uneasy.
What’s also fuelling the anxiety? Meta’s reputation.
Why the distrust for Instagram Maps feature? Meta’s privacy track record
Meta has a history of running into trouble over privacy settings and user data. Just this week, a California jury found Meta had violated privacy laws by mishandling data from a period-tracking app, despite the company denying any wrongdoing. In previous years, Meta has faced criticism for allowing third-party contractors to access users’ messages and for tracking people across apps and websites, even when they tried to opt out.
With this history in mind, it’s understandable that people aren’t taking any new privacy update at face value.
“I don’t care who you are or what your politics are, if you don’t believe that we are entering, if not already ell baked into the bread, of what is a surveillance culture, I don’t know what else to tell you,” said Bradley.
Is it available in Australia?
Here’s the good news for now: as of 8 August 2025, Instagram’s Map feature has not launched in Australia. However, Australia just received Instagram’s new built-in repost tool — part of the company’s global push to add new ways for people to “connect”. Given these features tend to arrive in batches, it’s not unlikely Map will hit local screens, too
Meta did not confirm to P.TV if Maps would launch.
So, what should you do if (or when) Instagram Maps arrives?
If and when Map becomes available, don’t assume your privacy is protected by default. Double-check the settings the moment you spot it in your app.
To review your location sharing:
- Open your Instagram DMs.
- Find the Map icon or banner.
- Use the “Who can see your location?” setting to switch off sharing, or limit it to a private/custom list.
- You can also manually block specific accounts from accessing your location.
Remember, tagging a location in posts or Stories is not the same as enabling Map — it only tags that specific photo or video for 24 hours.
The bottom line is that location sharing isn’t inherently a bad thing — plenty of people use it safely with trusted mates. The key is transparency and control. What’s different (and worrying) about Instagram’s approach is the combination of unclear settings, a history of privacy missteps, and the sheer size of their user base.
If you value privacy, don’t wait for a headline to remind you: always check your settings, keep your contacts tight, and be aware of what you’re sharing and with whom.
Lead image: TikTok
The post Instagram Users Sound Alarm As New Map Feature Raises Concerns About Safety & Control appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
