Instagram Might be Giving Away Your Precise Location

A new feature on Instagram has users worried that people are finding their exact location when they tag a general area as part of their post.

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According to a report by Emma Guinness of Tyla, a little-known location feature can give people access to your precise location if you haven't turned off the "precise location" setting, which is on by default on the app.

So for instance, a post by WNBF's Instagram account tagged in "Binghamton, New York" would not only let people know that WNBF was posting from Binghamton, but it would let people know exactly where in Binghamton the post was sent from. Now for WNBF, that feature is rather harmless since the call letters are on the side of a building on one of Binghamton's busiest streets. But for individual users, it can be extremely dangerous for people to know exactly where they are when they post.

In Guisness' report, one Twitter user claimed that she had heard of people's cars being stolen and houses broken into as a result of the feature that not many people know about. She also shared the easy way to make sure that setting is turned off and other Instagram users wouldn't be able to pinpoint your exact location.

In addition to the stolen cars and houses that have been broken into, this feature has obvious implications for people who may be concerned about a stalker or predator. So if you post frequently on Instagram or other apps that might have the same precise location feature, you might want to double check and make sure you can't be tracked that accurately by other users.