There was a time when the Instagram and Facebook combo seemed like it would never get surpassed. In spite of the fact that this is the case, the ever shifting landscape of social media has forced Instagram as well as its parent company Meta to sort out their priorities. This has led to Instagram introducing a slew of new features, with privacy taking center stage.
Focusing on privacy is essential because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up convincing people that Meta owned apps are safe. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Instagram is doubling down on this with a new feature that can allow you to restrict access to your posts to your Close Friends circle (as spotted by Lia Haberman and Jordan Shalhoub).
This will work similarly to how the Close Friends option works for Instagram stories with all things having been considered and taken into account. Users will be able to see this in the Audience Selection drop down menu, and chances are that even more privacy options will be thrown into the mix.
The goal here is to give users more security than might have been the case otherwise by enabling them to have complete control over who can check their posts out. Adding a prompt in the creation flow makes the process far easier to master as well.
Update: A spokesperson of Meta stated that: “We’re testing the ability for people in select countries to share feed posts with their Close Friends. We’re always exploring new ways for our community to express themselves and connect on Instagram.”
This marks the first time that the Close Friends option has been brought to the main feed. It has previously been used in Notes as well as Reels, and most users will be overjoyed that they can take advantage of this enhanced level of privacy in their day to day Instagram usage as well.
Privacy has become the name of the game, with most users preferring to create insular online communities instead of going for mass appeal. This move is certainly a positive step in the right direction, and all eyes will be on Instagram to see what other new privacy features it has around the corner which will be released in the near to distant future.
Read next: 67% of Americans Believe Companies Should Get Involved in Politics
Focusing on privacy is essential because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up convincing people that Meta owned apps are safe. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Instagram is doubling down on this with a new feature that can allow you to restrict access to your posts to your Close Friends circle (as spotted by Lia Haberman and Jordan Shalhoub).
This will work similarly to how the Close Friends option works for Instagram stories with all things having been considered and taken into account. Users will be able to see this in the Audience Selection drop down menu, and chances are that even more privacy options will be thrown into the mix.
The goal here is to give users more security than might have been the case otherwise by enabling them to have complete control over who can check their posts out. Adding a prompt in the creation flow makes the process far easier to master as well.
Update: A spokesperson of Meta stated that: “We’re testing the ability for people in select countries to share feed posts with their Close Friends. We’re always exploring new ways for our community to express themselves and connect on Instagram.”
This marks the first time that the Close Friends option has been brought to the main feed. It has previously been used in Notes as well as Reels, and most users will be overjoyed that they can take advantage of this enhanced level of privacy in their day to day Instagram usage as well.
Privacy has become the name of the game, with most users preferring to create insular online communities instead of going for mass appeal. This move is certainly a positive step in the right direction, and all eyes will be on Instagram to see what other new privacy features it has around the corner which will be released in the near to distant future.
Read next: 67% of Americans Believe Companies Should Get Involved in Politics
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