It turns out the viral Instagram privacy post was a hoax
Whether it was your mom posting about it or your favourite late-night talk show host, chances are you’ve seen someone re-share the claim that Instagram can now use images against users in court cases.
And due to its concerning nature, the post spread like wildfire, causing a collective panic with users, who were informed that if they shared the message their content wouldn’t be used against them.
The post, which showed a type block of text, went viral earlier this week, claiming Instagram is planning to implement new changes to its privacy policy to let old messages and private photos be used in court cases against its users.
“Everything you’ve ever posted becomes public from today. Even messages that have been deleted or the photos not allowed,” read the message.
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But it turns out, the post in question is actually a hoax, according to Adam Mosseri, chief of Instagram.
“If you’re seeing a meme claiming Instagram is changing its rules tomorrow, it’s not true,” wrote Mosseri in a Twitter post.
If you’re seeing a meme claiming Instagram is changing its rules tomorrow, it’s not true – learn more here: https://t.co/Qy102zMQCm
— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) August 21, 2019
It went on to say that by sharing the post, account holders would be informing Instagram “it’s strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, or take any other action” against the user, based on their profile and it’s contents.
However, despite the grammatical errors and inconsistent typography, countless users, including many celebrities, reposted the initial post, including actress Taraji P. Henson and actor Rob Lowe.
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Luckily some users were quick to catch on to the scam including “The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah, who poked fun at the viral hoax, posting a similar message that mimicked the initial post’s bad grammar and call to action.
“Instagram you are a bad boy, don’t use my message for your badness ok! I don’t allow you for this. Now I stop you because this was also on Channel 13 News,” reads Noah’s post.
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Daily Hive has reached out to Instagram Canada for comment, but hadn’t heard back at the time of publication.
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