Instagram’s Default ‘Maps of Friends’ Feature Raises Privacy Fears

The event involves an AI system (Instagram's real-time location sharing feature) that automatically shares sensitive location data without explicit user consent or prior notification, leading to privacy violations. Users have reported this as a breach of their privacy rights, which constitutes harm under the framework's category of violations of human rights or legal obligations. The harm is realized and ongoing, not just potential, so this is an AI Incident rather than a hazard or complementary information.

The event involves an AI system that automatically updates and shares users' real-time location data with contacts, which can be inferred as AI-enabled processing of location and social data. While no direct harm is reported, the article emphasizes significant privacy concerns and potential misuse that could lead to violations of privacy rights and harm to users. Since the harm is plausible but not yet realized, and the AI system's role is central to the feature's operation and potential risks, this event fits the definition of an AI Hazard rather than an Incident or Complementary Information.

The event involves an AI system component (location sharing with real-time updates likely powered by AI algorithms) whose use (automatic activation without explicit user consent) plausibly leads to harm, such as privacy violations and potential physical safety risks (e.g., stalking). Since the article does not report actual harm occurring but highlights credible risks and user concerns about the feature's default activation, this qualifies as an AI Hazard. The feature's deployment and automatic enabling create a plausible scenario for future harm, meeting the criteria for an AI Hazard rather than an Incident or Complementary Information.