Instagram Removes Screenshot Alerts Letting Creepers Stalk Undetected
Instagram is no longer testing a feature that alerted users when someone else would take a screenshot of their story. The feature had been in place for several months and would plop a starry icon next to the username of anyone who snapped a screenshot, thereby letting the user know that someone saved a potentially embarrassing post. With the test concluded, users are free to grab screenies all they want without Instagram ratting them out.
This is either a good thing or potentially bad thing, depending on your perspective. For users who like to save photos that others take, Instagram's alert system might have discouraged doing so. But on the flip side, the feature could have let users know if they had a potential stalker on their hands, and that is not the case anymore. Without any kind of notification system in place, creepy users are free to be, well, creepy.
For users who are concerned about this, Snapchat still sends alerts when someone takes a screenshot, and has for a long time now. What's different about Snapchat's implementation is that it does not give the person who takes a screenshot any sort of warning, whereas Instagram did.
"Next time you take a screenshot or screen recording, the person who posted the story will be able to see," Instagram's warning read during the test phase.
Instagram's implementation wasn't entirely effective, anyway. Users who wanted to save screen grabs without being snitched on could simply turn on Airplane mode. They could also download stories from Instagram's website. Ending the test just makes it easier to grab screenshots without letting the other person know. Life changing stuff, eh?
