Your Private Instagram Posts Aren’t Exactly Private
Photos and videos posted to private accounts on Instagram and Facebook aren’t as private as they might seem. They can be accessed, downloaded, and distributedThe hack — which works on Instagram stories as well — requires only a rudimentary understanding of HTML and a browser. It can be done in a handful of clicks. A user simply inspects the images and videos that are being loaded on the page and then pulls out the source URL.
The hack works even when images and videos in a private Instagram story expire or are deleted. Linking URLs to content from stories seems to be valid for a couple days; links to photos on the feed remain live for potentially even longer. The same is true for stories that have purportedly expired., the work-around also applies to private Facebook content. If a friend or follower grabs the link, they can use it to share that content with nonfriends and nonfollowers.
This process differs from just taking a screenshot of a private account you’re following for a few reasons. These public URLs contain some basic info about the photo or video they link to, including details about how it was uploaded, photo dimensions, and whatnot. They also prove authenticity; you can’t fake one. Beyond this is the issue of deleted photos and videos being stored on Facebook’s content delivery network after a person believes them to be deleted.
That photos and videos explicitly designated as private are so easily accessible and publicly shareable is particularly egregious given Facebook's ongoing privacy missteps. Recall Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's privacy pledge from earlier this year.
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