New Instagram feature to entice TikTok users also compromises privacy

It is highly likely that within a few hours TikTok will cease operations in the U.S. In an effort to capitalize on this golden opportunity Instagram is adding a new feature to the app to entice TikTok users to switch platforms. However this new feature also compromises your privacy and may be something that you wish to turn off.

Adam Mosseri — head of Instagram — announced in a video that the app will be rolling out a new feed where you will see reels that your friends have liked or commented on. The idea is that you can quickly start a conversation with your friends about content they’ve watched. While the concept definitely encourages more interaction over Instagram it also means that your history is being shared openly.

I quite like that I can watch whatever I want on Instagram — mainly cat videos — and not announce it to the world. This new feature is one that I will turn off immediately once it arrives in my country. Meta is only releasing the update in certain regions for now and will expand coverage once the company has studied how it is received by users.

The whole TikTok debacle has sent multiple platforms racing to replace it. Instagram is already quite similar to TikTok and is trying everything it can to win over people looking for a new short-form video sharing app. However this hasn’t gone exactly to plan as TikTok users are migrating to another Chinese app instead: RedNote.

While Instagram would have welcomed the influx of new users with open arms, RedNote is not as thrilled. The company is already considering isolating foreign IP addresses from Chinese ones so “American influence” can be minimized. This transition from TikTok to RedNote is also profiting an unsuspecting third app

Instagram has taken some very welcome steps in recent years to protect user privacy on the platform, especially for minors. This is why I’m hopeful that the new dedicated feed will be optional as well. The app had a similar feature years ago that it discontinued and I wouldn’t be surprised if this new addition eventually meets the same fate.

Instagram can still play its cards right and snag some former TikTok users as RedNote hands out bans for “inappropriate” content.