Several years ago, there was a fuss when Facebook announced that WhatsApp data would be shared between both platforms. Given that Facebook owns WhatsApp, it made sense, but at the same time it also seemed like a huge privacy concern as not everyone who uses WhatsApp necessarily uses Facebook.Now it looks like Facebook could be trying it again, except this time with Instagram. According to a report from TechCrunch, it seems that Instagram is now testing a new privacy setting that would allow the app to share your location history with Facebook, meaning that Facebook could target you with ads based on your location along with relevant content.
Given that there are already conspiracy theories about how Facebook is listening to your conversations and having the uncanny ability to display the exact ads, we’re sure that this will not be helping their cause. However given that this is a privacy setting, it means that in theory users will have the option to opt out of it, although who would want to willing opt in is unclear.
In a statement made to TechCrunch, Facebook seems to have hinted that they have prototyped such a feature, although whether or not it will eventually go live remains to be seen. “To confirm, we haven’t introduced updates to our location settings. As you know, 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.”