An Old Instagram Hoax Is Back And Is Making Its Rounds Again

There have been many hoaxes over the years, and you would think that after a few times, we would eventually become “immune” or knowledgeable to their existence where we can safely ignore them. However, it seems that an old Instagram hoax is back and is making its rounds, fooling several celebrities and politicians in the process.

The hoax, for those unfamiliar, is one related to privacy. It asks users to make a post to Instagram where it reads, “Instagram DOES NOT HAVE MY PERMISSION TO SHARE PHOTOS OR MESSAGES.” This is based on the allegations that images users upload to Instagram can be used in court cases against them.

This hoax appears to have dated back as far as 2012 where fact-checking website Snopes has already debunked it. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram has also since made a post on Twitter debunking it. “If you’re seeing a meme claiming Instagram is changing its rules tomorrow, it’s not true.”

Instagram isn’t alone in this as in the past, we have seen similar hoaxes apply to other online services, such as WhatsApp, where people are asked to forward messages to help keep WhatsApp free. So, if you do come across this message or if someone tells you about, you can safely ignore it.

Tyler Lee
Categories: General
Tags: Instagram, Privacy