As part of “experts dots (comments) on the latest information security news” publication, please find below the expert comments on the news that Instagram is stepping up its security features to make it easier for users to block apps from accessing their data.
Extra security features are slowly becoming standard features, which are a step in the right direction. It is fantastic to see the tech giants take on such protection controls and offering it to their customers.
However, I still feel third party apps do not always need access to these accounts or need to sign in via the app. Signing in via Facebook or Instagram to delegate accounts could be a risk, unless two-factor authentication is set up and all passwords are unique.
Furthermore, once you use Facebook or Instagram to sign into a third-party app, there is limited knowledge on what security they hold over your passwords. It is also far too easy to forget who has access. My advice would be to check on Facebook et al to see which services and accounts have access permissions. If they are no longer necessary, then revoking access is the best course of action.
Since January 2018, we have seen the social media powerhouses – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – taking numerous steps to clean up their platforms. Whether it\’s removing fake followers and accounts, clean up offensive content or locking down who can access user data, the age of privacy and transparency has well and truly dawned in social media.
It\’s great to see Instagram following in the footsteps of parent company Facebook as it steps up security features, to allow users to view which apps have access to their data. In the age of privacy and data protection, it\’s key that social media platforms are transparent to users. Just last month Facebook revealed that it had removed tens of thousands of apps from its platform for breaking its rules.
The fact is that users should always have full control over their data, As such, platforms that offer greater security and transparency are likely to have greater appeal to users and marketers going forward.