Instagram's Latest Controversial Feature Is A Prime Example Of Why I Hardly Use It

The first warning I got that Instagram had added some controversial new features to the app came in the form of text-based posts in my Explore feed — all of which announced some variation of: Instagram is now sharing your location, and here's how to turn off the super-creepy new map feature. Groan. Not this again.

I'm not kidding; Instagram used to be my happy place online, and probably yours, too. Open the app, post a photo, scroll through your friends' stories — it was simple, personal, and fun. Or, rather, it used to be. These days, though, opening Instagram feels like stepping into a rowdy bazaar, where someone at every stall is shouting for your attention. Between the Reels, endless ads, suggested posts from strangers, and all the features I never asked for and will never use, I can barely find the actual updates from people I care about. Meanwhile, Meta's Eye of Sauron is always watching, threatening to invade your privacy at every turn.

This is not about me getting old and cranky, causing me to despise change — Instagram has been annoyingly chasing every trend that crosses its path for years. The result is today's bloated, Frankenstein-like version of its former self. And if you're wondering whether the app could even get more crowded, a recent update answers that question with a resounding yes.

First, it was Stories, borrowed from Snapchat. Then came Reels, swiped from TikTok. Now, Instagram has rolled out a handful of new features that make the app feel even less like Instagram. The most eyebrow-raising addition is a location-sharing map tool, which lets friends see your exact whereabouts every time you open the app. It's opt-in, but the creep factor is hard to ignore. Users online have already voiced their discomfort at how easily it could broadcast their location with just a few taps. Personally, I opened mine and immediately saw the precise coordinates of a follower whom I know for a fact had no idea it was turned on.

There's also the global rollout of the Friends Reels tab, which shows not just the Reels your friends repost, but also the ones they've liked and commented on. It's a public nudge toward content you may not have chosen to "share," and it blurs the line between what you enjoy privately and what your friends now know you enjoy. I found out about this one when Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich posted a Story about it, ranting about how she had no idea this was now a thing and that she'd almost shared something embarrassing to her 106,000 followers.

The Meta executives in charge of Instagram are clearly experts in clutter and complexity. Don't forget — even before these latest changes, Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom lamented back in 2023 during a podcast interview that the app had clearly lost its "soul" and was now overstuffed with ads. Instagram's identity crisis is nothing new, but it's still breathtaking to watch the speed at which it drifts ever further from the app we all once loved. Even if they stripped all these extras away tomorrow, I don't know — I'm not sure it could ever truly go back.